The Madness of King Grendel
by Wormtail96
Summary: This is the story of Stitch's monstrous and power-hungry son Grendel. His rise to power over his people, the brutality of his reign and last, his downfall.
1. Chapter I: Grendel

**(A/N) Hello, everyone, it is me, Wormtail96. I've been mulling this one over for a while and so I've decided to write a fairly short story for Lilo and Stitch again. This is about, big shock, Stitch's son. Now I know a lot of you are wondering what happened to "Son of the King, Father of Rebellion". Well, to be honest...I really lost track of where it was going or rather, how I was going about it. I just lost after a while and soon lost interest completely. Also, it was going in the direction of being too long. In this story, I know exactly what I'm doing and it won't be as long - maybe ten chapters at the most. Here as well, I've got a more developed and interesting main character (Stitch's son) and the plot and setting is a bit more, for lack of a good enough word, feesible than the one I created in 'Son of the King, Father of Rebellion. So read on and enjoy.**

**Update 31/12/10: I have decided to unspecify the number of years Grendel is in power, so to help draw out the events of the story better.**

* * *

**The Madness of King Grendel**

**Chapter I**

**Grendel**

Well, hey, how are you doing? Have a seat and a drink of jasmine tea. Boy, it's good to see you, what can I say? I don't get many new visitors, believe me. This is especially the case as I now reside in a dark, damp cave dug into the cliffs of Hawaii right in front of the roaring and crashing waves, where I would find my daily fill of fish and sometimes dolphin.

Hey, where have my manners slithered off to? I should introduce myself properly. My name, believe it or not, is Grendel. Grendel Cain Pelekai in full. Nowadays, that name is "mud" amongst the populace and if I am spotted by the wrong people, I will be taken and publicly slaughtered before a cheering crowd of my own people. I will elaborate on that soon enough.

So let us cut to the case; I'm a member of the species of alien hybrids known as, or perhaps formerly known as, 'Experiments'. I'm not particularly sure what the de jure name of my species is now. I think the Galactic Federation is currently considering the term 'New Turogian', named after the extinct species that inhabited Turo, the GF capital, and where we were created. But right now, the de facto term is 'Experiment'. It is also common to refer to us as 'Trogs,' but I can assure you, if you call ME that, I will rip your offspring's flesh in twain right before your eyes.

Now, I am also among a branch of my kind that is quite unlike the now close majority. I was not created by Jumba Jookiba in his lab like the first six hundred twenty-nine of my people. No, no, no, I, my good fellow…was BORN. I had entered this world through the natural, yet disgusting biological process between the male and female of my people. But I am also the FIRST of this new generation and whilst this started off slow, well…now every female around have several buns in their ovens. This was a crucial first step in our progress of evolution and now we were galloping forward towards our own society and culture. We are living closer together as communities; we are learning proper dialect English (some of humorously with particular international accents) as well as becoming completely literate; we are beginning to wear pieces of clothing like jackets, trousers and shoes; direct democracy had been adopted (as there was still less than a thousand) with a NOW elected 'Leader' and reproducing has led to many of us adopting nuclear family structures with the father as the provider and the mother as the carer. Our current status as a species was currently being left up to a committee in the Galactic Federation. Glorious, was it not? Yet of course, we had decided it best to take measures as keeping our existence secret on Earth; mankind was simply not yet ready and that was fair enough. It is only a shame I will have seldom chance to see it all unveil myself.

I am the offspring of Experiments 6-2-6 and 6-2-4, or as they are more commonly known as Stitch and Angel and as mentioned before, the first naturally conceived of our kind. I am not their only child as I have a younger sister and brother, but do not concern yourself with them as they are not TOO important.

Now I am sure most of you are thinking how "adorable" and "heart-warming" all this is and honestly, you're not COMPLETELY wrong. Of course, the concept of two lovers having their own children is certainly illuminating, but in practice, it's a lot more complicated and for lack of a better word, gritty. You have to keep in mind that this was the FIRST time two Experiments were reproducing so things had to be handled carefully and they were but…things don't always go as you hope they will. Yes, it was a success as I was born and my mother and I both survived the labour process, but I only wish I had come out of it a lot better. To dash away your preconceptions of me being the spitting image of my father, I was born and pretty much still am a walking skeleton draped in flesh and fur. Indeed, I did bare a strong resemblance to my father but much distorted with distinctive features that set me apart from him. First of all, I'm surprisingly gaunt with my bones being prominent at a glance, such as a ribcage you could feel by simply running a finger up and down against my chest. I have two deformities of my very own that made me stand out as "special"; one withered arm and a deformed hunched over back. My eyes are sunken in; my yellow teeth and rounded black claws are jagged and overgrown and my nose is so bulbous that if I was television, even I would support it being censored on grounds of it causing offense. Funny thing – after a few months old, I had developed an upper lip that twitches upwards towards my conk. Although, I would have to say the most distinct thing between us if that whilst my father's body is covered in dark and light blue fur, my body is covered in near colourless fur but with some greyish purple tint. It can definitely be said then that I was at the shallow end of the gene pool in more way than one. Don't feel pity for me though as it turned out that this is a common thing for most Experiment's children. You should see my sister and brother, for goodness sake.

When it comes to my father's extraordinary abilities, I must say that I didn't do TOO badly. I can lift objects not three thousand, but just a thousand times my size; I have night vision; I've got extra sets of limbs, although I can only retract my antenna and back quills; I cannot think faster than a supercomputer, but my IQ is exceedingly high (247, the last time I checked) and…oh, yeah, I'm pretty much indestructible.

Now…as I said before, I am currently in hiding, a self-imposed exile of sorts, mainly from the other New Turogians. Their new ruler, again as mentioned before, would like nothing better than to see my neck in a noose and dangling a few feet from the ground. Obviously you are wondering why on Earth all of this is the ways it is and you're right, I should elaborate on the story more. It is not too long and easy enough for the simplest minds to understand. It's all about my own rise to power, how I became the absolute and autocratic undisputed ruler of the New Turogians and the terrifying effects my reign that lasted a fair number of years over them had. Of course, this story will also tell you in the end how everything I owned, built and controlled went up in smoke and have ended up here in squalor.

If there is one message I want you to take away from my fable, than it is this: what goes up MUST one day come down! Or that life is shit, your choice really…

* * *

**(A/N) So that's the prologue. I hope you enjoyed it and will continue to read on as it is updated.**


	2. Chapter II: Beginnings

**(A/N) Merry Christmas...Eve! Here is the second chapter. This is quite an important chapter as it and the following Chapter III focuses heavily on the childhood of Grendel and his siblings, as well as his family and background in general. Just a little warning though, there is a scene towards the end that gets a little graphic, not too much for an M rating, but I think enough for a warning. So read on and lets get to know Grendel and his family a little bit better.**

* * *

**Chapter II**

**Beginnings**

_Many years ago…_

I'm going to be honest in saying that I just plain don't like Hawaii. "Why?" you ask? Well, how can I put it? It's a place great to visit every few years, NOT to reside permanently. Sure, Hawaii looks like and to an extent is a gorgeous island, what with its lavish five star resorts, tropical forests, warm climate, crystal clear water and white sandy beaches. Yet it is not for me. I don't like the heat, the constant infestation of tourists and especially the typhoons that plunged everything into darkness and deafening roars. I preferred somewhere like, I dunno, Scotland. It is cooler, secluded and it has a greater chance of snow in the winter, thus making it a staunch opposite to a pacific island.

My life before my rise and fall, aka my early youth, was straightforward enough. I lived with my family, or 'Ohana' as it was referred to in Hawaiian, consisting of my father, my mother, my siblings, saintly Lilo, her sister Nani, her husband David, the "great creator" Jumba Jookiba, the delightful Wendy Pleakley and of course, moi.

On the ancient mainland island of Kauai, on the outskirts of town, my home was the quaint little house which stood out with the dome tower where my father, mother and Lilo slept. It was a nice place though I can't honestly say I miss it TOO much, despite it being the place where I grew up.

On the front porch was where I spent a lot of time when I had nothing better to do, sitting cosily on the teal and gold-trimmed silk bed and peering through the blue wooden bars for any signs of change – a passing animal, Nani's car driving up usually from the store, that sort of thing. Though for the most part of this relaxation time, I just slept and drank my fresh filtered whole milk from a jug and ate my assortment of delicious tropical fruit like mangos. That was good enough for me.

This was what I was doing where my story starts off, as a delightful little 'Troglodyte', which was what I casually refer to our peoples' childhoods as. It was around 7:30 AM and the sun was rising, gently illuminating the jungle tops with every passing couple of minutes. You know, for as much as I slag off Hawaii, it was pretty damn great to wake up to, so that's why I rarely spent a night sleeping in my bedroom. The cool tropical breeze was bristling through my fur, up and down the hump caused by my deformed back. The breeze felt like a cold, soothing ointment slowly making the damned thing sink in and giving me the good posture I lacked, but that was all in my head. Whenever I reached my claw back and felt for something, I found that it was STILL there.

I was taking a few loud gulps full of my whole milk when, like every other morning, it started again. It was the sordid sound that could have only come from the darkest depths of Hades. Barking. My brother's barking, or rather laughing. Actually, no, not 'laugh' either, but a howling and clucking noise that sounds very similar to an insane fit of laughter, made whenever he was excited, anxious, afraid or whatever, much like a hyena. It had actually become adopted as a wakeup call for the entire house, so suck on that Belle, ya hack. Hey, call it what you will, but in my opinion, every at first peaceful morning was shattered by this nuisance, regardless if everybody needed to get their day started.

Balling my claws and scrunching up my face, I tried to ignore him but after the sixteenth time, my patience ran out and decided it was time to take action. Hopping off my bed, I climbed up onto the banister and barked fiercely, "Hey! HEY! Fafnir, shut up! I SAID SHUT IT!"

Across the porch and right near the jungle entrance, two New Turogians were situated lazily. One of them was an overweight female resting heavily in a personalised hammock tied up between two palm trees, giving out groans after being woken abruptly by the either the two sets of barking. The other was a mangy, flea-bitten male that looked more like an excited dog that desperately wanted "walkies" and who was chained up by its black spike-studded collar like one to a stake impaled into the ground a few feet behind him. He was the one making all this noise to begin with. Now for those of you with absolutely no intelligence whatsoever, yes, these two are my sister and brother.

My younger sister, Medusa, was a fat chewed up and spat out duplicate of our mother. Her fur was a sloppy splash between grey and light pink with her legs and arms being a very dark blue. In terms of frame, my sister ate a lot but unlike most other Experiments she did not exercise a lot, making her a soft, frumpy mass that was near impossibly being up held up by her thin bony limbs. I'm sure you've heard of chicken legs but this was ridiculous. But one thing that really made her stand out was her moronic attempt to gather enough extra overgrown fur on top of her head to tie up into pigtails. Now how would I best describe my sister? Spoiled? Pretty much. Air-headed? Very. Vain? She was the Queen Bee. As soon as she was old enough to walk or begin reading, Medusa had become fascinated with the way human's dress and the concept of fashion, much to Pleakley's delight. She took every opportunity to wear human clothes, that is, whenever Nani allowed it and that was not often.

My youngest sibling, my brother Fafnir, was what you might call the runt of the litter, despite the fact that we were not all born at the same time in a litter like some mammals. Fafnir was the most, how should I put it, genetically fucked up? Yeah, that'll do. He was a pintsized mangy beast covered in mottled fur, which had its own uniqueness as it was "decorated" in the type of messy spots that you would find on a hyena. As well as this, he had a variety of physical quirks to him, which included a smaller, twitching left ear; a bulging and infected-looking right eye and three missing claws (two from his right and one from his left). Unfortunately for Fafnir, not only was he the youngest and so "the baby", but he was also…not very smart. At all. Look, I doubt calling him 'retarded' would be appropriate, but what else would YOU call him? "Special" as Mom so sweetly put it? His IQ could not possibly have been any higher than 80. You just look at that slack jawed expression on his face with saliva running off his monstrous teeth and you could just tell that there was NOTHING going up there in his head.

Just to get this out of the way, my brother and sister had most definitely received their powers from the shallow end of the gene pool. Medusa could sing beautifully like mother, but could not switch them from good to evil like her. Also, her lesser powers were the ability to see in the dark, climb walls like the rest of us and she was quite strong. I'm not sure whether she was totally indestructible, but she most likely could have withstood a lot of damage. As for Fafnir, he only had the lesser three powers but no unique power of his own like Medusa and I (mine being the extra limbs).

When I received no response other than mindless "laughter", I yelled again over at him, "Hey, Faffy, have you been shoving crayons in your ears again? I said, "SHUT UP!" so SHUT UP!" Again, my brother just continued to laugh, so knowing actions spoke louder than words, I grabbed onto the banister, leaped over it and onto the dirt ground. "Alright, that's it! If you want shut up on your own accord, I'm gonna come over there and make you!" With that, I started marching towards my idiotic little brother, teeth bared and claws flashing. You may think of me being a bully, but sometimes you have to tough.

Medusa saw me advancing upon our clueless brother, gasped and began bleating in the direction of the house. "MOM! MOM! DAD! Grendel's hurting Faffy again!"

"Shut up, Medusa! Stop being a damned snitch." I grunted at her threateningly, snapping my jaws to make her shut up. With her out of the way, I turned my attention back to my little brother, grabbed him by the collar around his neck and yanked him forward. Leaning into his clueless grinning face, I told him, doing my best to keep my composure from falling apart, "Now…are going to stop your yapping or what?"

Stupid question gets you a stupid answer. Playfully, Fafnir giggled and licked my face with his large dripping tongue, coating my face in his drool. My buttons pushed, I roared furiously and pulled my fist back, about to burrow it into my brother's face. Believe me, his face would have actually looked a lot better once I was through with the little mongrel. Unfortunately, I did not receive the opportunity.

"Grendel!" A shout came from behind me.

There really was not that much point in turning around as I knew all too well whom that voice belonged to, but I did so anyway, albeit with great reluctance.

It was my father standing there, glaring intently from the top step of the porch a very short distance away. He appeared to have rings underneath his black orb eyes and had the overall impression of being very tired and worn. We were all aware that Experiments did in no way age the same way physically as humans did, yet it seemed that my father undergone some waging in some kind of way. Maybe it was the stress of having children, I dunno, but he just looked a lot less spry than he was in the years before my siblings and I were born, at least once you look at some home videos.

"Let go of him." He told me flatly and I did as I was told, petting Fafnir on the head for good measure. He closed his eyes and shook his head, turning away to walk back into the house. "It's breakfast time, so unchain your brother and come inside."

* * *

Ah, breakfast, the most important meal of the day. It was also one of two times when this big family was all together, but before we got onto it, we had one or two things to attend to. Now first of all, I went to chuck down the rest of my whole milk and fruit, leaving Medusa to release Fafnir from his chains. I will shoot down your theory as to why we chained him up every night right away: we were not being cruel and he was not being punished for anything. We did it because we were worried he would run off as he did a couple of times when he was a few weeks old. Faffy was so dumb that he was not aware he had the strength to break out of the chains and probably did not see them as restraints anyway, but rather a toy of sorts. Medusa, who slept outside with him due to lack of space inside the house for them to have their own rooms (neither cared for rooms anyway, they were definitely more outdoor Experiments), was trusted with the key to open his chain collar.

Now as mentioned before, our family had undergone a surge of growth in the years since what is known as the Battle of the Leroys, so we now had ourselves a pretty large table, seating four Experiments, three people, Pleakley and Jumba. Yes, it's actually FIVE Experiments, but you see, Fafnir was actually situated at the steps of open door in the kitchen leading out the back. He ate there because we tried teaching him to eat at the table before and God, he could not sit still for more than ten seconds and he made a complete mess of himself AND the table. Right now, he was having what he usually had in the morning: a fresh chunk of raw pig meat Nani bought from the butchers and a dish filled to the brim with Coca-Cola.

Everyone, minus Fafnir and I, was engrossed in our own conversations. I was quietly drinking a bottle of Coca-Cola and devouring a plate full of bacon, gammon and sausage. Yes, I needed my fill of flesh, but the cola was what drew me in the most. I drink this black beverage like water; it was to me and Faffy what coffee was to my father.

Lilo, now twelve-years-old, looked at her wristwatch and stood up, picking up her backpack as well. It was time for her to go to school and judging by her tired expression, she had been up all night studying for an algebra examination. Lilo no longer wore her trademark red and white flower muumuu anymore, but rather a long-sleeved shirt and trousers with a similar colour and pattern. We all simply waved her goodbye, with the exception of father giving her a hug. She then went out the backdoor of the kitchen, lovingly petting Fafnir on the head on the way out and Nani got up to make sure he did not follow after her like he was prone to.

"So what are you going to do today, Grendel?" I looked up to my right at my mother, Angel. Now yes, my father nowadays looked ragged, but God, my mother was a lot worse. She had never really regained her slim figure after giving birth to three children. It wasn't really unexpected though – she was the first ever Experiment to give birth and after three times, the poor woman had been left banged up like an old car.

"Who, me?" I asked, my ear twitching and taking the final bite of my gammon. "I'm just going to go have a walk around, maybe go to Heorot and see the others." This was what I usually spent my time doing whenever I got bored of just laying on my silk bed on the porch. It helped me get some exercise and back then, I did feel quite adventurous. Exploring the jungles and unseen parts of the island was a good way to pass the time.

Pleakley, who for the love of the great good Lord was by then starting to wear more men's clothes, looked up from his magazine and said out loud, "Heorot? Why do you kids keep on going there? It's full of dirt and disease and you always manage to bring it back home with you."

"Well, that's double, ultra, super good…" I finished my cola and got off from my chair and pointed at him. "Because then YOU will keep away from me!" I blew a raspberry at him and walked off past the table towards the living room, after saying to Nani quickly, "Thanks for breakfast, Nani." Unknowns to me, but as I would have been told later by Medusa, an irritated Pleakley poked out his tongue immaturely after me, which earned him a dry look from the others. You know, I never really hated Pleakley as much as I made out to be, it was just so fun to wind him up and trust me, that didn't take too much effort.

At that moment, Medusa got down and proceeded to follow after me. "Hey, Grendel, wait up, I wanna go too. Oh, and thanks for breakfast, Nani!"

"Fine." I grumbled, feeling my head sink lower beneath my hump. Medusa I didn't mind tagging along, but whenever that was the case, I always knew what came next…

"Okay, but take Fafnir with you, as well." Right on fucking cue. It was usually either father, mother or Nani who beckoned this and this time it was the former.

Rubbing my claws down my face, I looked back begrudgingly and Medusa and I asked in our cute whining voices, "But Daaaaad, do we have to?" Even before we asked we knew the answer. Why did we even bother?

Father set his cup of coffee down and without even looking at us, replied sharply, _"Take your brother."_

There was no use fighting it so we said we would and went upstairs to get "some things" from the closet upstairs, where most of our toys and other belongings were kept, before we were to set off. Medusa went to slip on a frumpy green shirt with long white sleeves that looked too big for her and fetch her pink cell phone that she had received for her last birthday. Me, I actually just went into the bathroom to brush my teeth – this was back when my teeth were still in good shape and I liked to keep them that way so to make myself look more intimating, especially to Pleakley. One snap of my killer jaws and he went running off like a scared little girl.

When we finished, we headed down the stairs and tried to head out the front to avoid being noticed, but Father spotted us and "reminded" us to remember to bring Fafnir along. So cursing under my breath, Medusa and I went out the back kitchen door, where we found our little brother chewing the last of his meat in his mouth. After barking at him to follow us a couple of times, Fafnir finally understood and began trailing after us like a puppy. Neither of us liked having our little brother coming along on our walks through the island. He was a nice kid, no question, but he proved to be nothing but dead weight, always wondering off, always stopping to stare at almost anything that caught his interest for several minutes and ALWAYS laughing. You could not get him to shut up, no matter how many times you throttled him!

Hmm, Grendel, Medusa and Fafnir, quite the group we were, once you looked back at it. You had me, the undisputed leader and Brains, then you had Medusa, the token female, my Yes-Girl and second-in-command and finally you had Fafnir…the third guy and..."special one". Now I bet you're puzzling at least to some extent as to why our mother and father gave us these peculiar names. Obviously, Lilo had something to do with it like all other Experiments' names, but it still raised a few eyebrows as to why the names of mythological demons interested. Well, Lilo IS into all that weird stuff, so maybe mythology and monsters were hanging over her mind during the years before and after our births. My parents, clearly having no idea what to name each of us in the slightest, seemed to go along with it. Therefore, I was named after Grendel, the monster from the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf who attacked the mead hall Heorot, killing and eating anyone he found there. That was until the Geat warrior Beowulf arrived to save the day by ripping mighty Grendel's arm off and leaving him to die at his beneath the swamp. My sister, named Medusa after the infamous Greek gorgon who had snakes for hair and whose terrifying gaze would turn a man into stone. And my brother's name, Fafnir, originated from Norse mythology, after the prince whose greed transformed him into a large dragon/sergeant creature and fiercely guarded his gold by breathing poison into the land. I can safely say that out of all the names of Experiments or "New Turogians" on this island, ours were the coolest.

* * *

The first part of our day out was fairly uneventful. We instead went into the town of Kokua, strolling down the busy streets, all three of us on all fours (well, me on all six as I stated before, I cannot retract my second set of arms), passing by all the shoppers and damn tourists that did not even notice us. If they did though, they most likely would have given us a glance or raised eyebrow but would not say anything. We were to pass ourselves off as dogs to the rest of the non-Experiment and non-alien-aware populace, despite the fact that we bared little to no resemblance to dogs. For God's sake, I had _six_ visible limbs and Medusa was wearing a shirt, so you'd think SOMEONE would have noticed and at least pointed it out to the person next to him. I think Fafnir was the only one of us who was close enough to pulling the disguise off. He acted like a dog, especially as he seemed to _only_ walk on all fours and had the uncanny stupid and flea-bitten impression of one, that black collar of his just completing it. I've never fully understood the reason why so many people were so easily fooled. Yeah, humans are by no means the most intelligent sentient beings in the galaxy, but still, how can they not see what was right in front of them? I once asked Jumba about it and what he theorized was that the human mind was xenophobic, fearing what they could not understand. They saw us as dogs presumably because that's what they wanted to see, rather than accepting the fact that we were aliens. Yet to me, it still did not make a lot of sense, but I'm neither a sociologist nor psychologist, so I guess judgement is not really up to me, is it?

We spent our time in town mostly sitting by the path leading to and from the beach, snapping viciously at the heels of tourists (who one can tell one from a camera from his or her neck) and sending them running off in fear. It was fun the first few dozen of times but after that the thrill began to wear off so we decided to venture out into the jungle for a while. The plan for after that was to head off to Heorot.

"Faffy! NO!" Medusa looked back and snapped at our brother who was starting to climb up a large old tree to see, or most likely eat the beautifully coloured birds that were singing atop its branches. "You get down from there, right now!" Fafnir stopped to look at her and briefly analysing her intent look, his premature brain put together that what he was currently must have been "bad" and so slowly got down.

I was watching this little display from a few feet away, sitting down and sighing heavily to express my tedium. Whilst Medusa was busy giving a pointless lecture to Fafnir about not getting distracted and how he was to keep following us, I got down on my stomach and started drumming my claws against the ground, waiting for my slack jawed siblings to sort themselves out so we could get back on track. I wanted to get to Heorot and soon. But just then…I smelt something; something that made by ears shoot up and lip twitch violently.

"Shut up." Both Medusa and Fafnir went silent and turned their heads to look at me with curiosity. They did not object when they saw me standing up straight and the serious look on my face that was staring far into the jungle. Immediately they had a good idea what was up. "Do you smell that? In the North?"

Facing north, my brother and sister began sniffing their snouts loudly and it took them only two seconds to seek out what I too had smelt. Walking up to my side, both of them went rigid in the same solid, serious position. Fafnir's mouth slowly began to open up to shows his wet teeth and he began breathing louder and harder until Medusa gently hushed him.

It was close. The smell was growing stronger and stronger. I dug my claws hard into the ground and clenched my teeth, a quiet growl rattling my vocal cords, which was promptly chorused by Medusa and Fafnir. We just had to wait…

A thick green bush a stone's throw away gave out a loud rustle. There.

"Now." I said firmly to them. _Bang!_ At the sound of an imaginary gunshot, we roared and sprung forward at the bush, diving into it with our claws bared and our jaws snapping ferociously.

The stupid animal did not stand a chance. It made a foolhardy attempt to make a run for it, letting out a high-pitched squeal of sheer terror. I made the first assault, but my claws only managed to leave a large bleeding scratch on its fat hide. Very quickly, we were on top of it and finished the job. But we did not end its life quickly; we bit, ripped and tore at the beast whilst it was still rolling around on the ground, a lot of its warm, lip puckering wasted painting the grass and earth. After moments of what had to have been some of the most excruciating pain an animal could endure, it gave out one last dying scream and collapsed its head on the ground, its misery at an end.

You could not ask for a better lunch. Minutes after it died and we began feasting on the juicy soft carcass, Medusa stopped filling her face for one moment to point out that it was a wild mother boar. Now how much better could you get than that? I took the lion's share of course and Medusa and Fafnir worked on the arguably less juicy and delectable parts. By the time we had finished, my sister and I laid down on the blood-stained earth to catch our brief and enjoy letting the flesh sit heavily in our stomachs. Fafnir did not stop and kept biting non-stop on the leg that he had ripped off the mother boar's leg with a mere tug even after it had been worked down to the bone and its delicious marrow.

"That…was…wonderful." Medusa moaned, her body shivering so much you'd think she was having a seizure. She then frowned when she saw that a lot of blood had got on her shirt. "Aww, it's gonna take forever to get all this out."

"It's not the only place you got it." Our maws, hands and arms were complete drenched in the boar's dark red blood, Fafnir getting the most of it. Nani was not going to like this, but we did not care. We already looked kind of threatening on our own and believe when I say you have no idea how much blood added to that.

Picking my teeth with my claws to make sure I got nothing caught in between them, an idea came to mind. "Hey, wait a minute..." Fafnir stopped gnawing the bone and he and Medusa looked over at me. "If this is a mother boar…then I don't think her kids can be too far away. Wouldn't you agree?"

Grins started growing on our faces. Wide, toothy, malicious grins.

It did not take long at all to find the mother boar's piglets. All huddled together cowering and awaiting the return of their mother. How devastated they would have been to learn that their mother was never going to return to them. Oh, what a pity it was that they did not look all too grateful when my siblings and I came in her place. On the bright sight, at least they would never know that she had suffered the same gruesome fate that they themselves would. The last thing those small but fat and juicy after dinner snacks saw were our blood-stained choppers and the last thing they heard were my brother's "laughter", which for this one time I could tolerate just a little bit more…

* * *

**(A/N) Okay ****so that's that chapter done and dusted. In the next chapter, we will find out what this important place on the island the Experiments call "Heorot" is. Also, we learn just how the kids "deal" with people they don't like as well as their relationship with their parents. The latter is going to be the most important, especially between Stitch and Grendel. But I think I'm getting a little ahead of myself here. Please do read and review and more importantly,**

**Have a Merry Christmas!**


	3. Chapter III: Rambunctious youth

**(A/N) Here is Chapter III. Here, we get a further insight into Grendel's childhood, as well as the savagery and wild beast that resides within him like other Experiments. We are also hinted of his relationship with his mother and father, but I will discuss that further in the A/N at the end of the chapter. It is also my hope that this chapter is a considerable improvement compared to my last two, which I know were far from perfect. Enjoy.**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter III**

**Rambunctious youth**

Heorot. Many years ago, not too long after I was born, there was a wildfire in the Hawaiian jungle that spread too fast for it to be brought under control. It was all over the news, gaining even international media attention. After four days, the fire quelled and that was mostly due to the heavy rain that occurred. What was left of the considerably large piece of land that the fire had engulfed was a scorched, dry and barren wasteland devoid of any life whatsoever. Even if there had been a significant animal population there, it was most likely the majority had been killed by the fire and the rest fled due to the fact that there was almost NOTHING left but a few scorched up trees. Ever since then, that particular part of the Hawaiian jungle remained relatively untouched by both humans and most animals alike. That was…until we came along.

The Experiment population was at this time beginning to live more and more like a community or group compared to their more individualistic lifestyles beforehand. Collectively, the proper term for us Experiments was not a "pack" or "pride", but rather, quite amusingly an "army". Fair enough as it did have the ability to genuinely make it sound more intimidating. Anyway, getting back to the matter of the wasteland, my people found that they needed a place where they could life peacefully without fear of gaining too much unwanted attention from the human populace; this place seemed like the best of the few available options. No question that it was hard to first adapt to, but as time went by, _some_ of the grass and plants started to creep back into view, as well as many vines and my people eventually got settled. It soon became known as our home Oh, and as for how the name 'Heorot' came about, remember that this all came about shortly after I was born and Lilo was still most likely to be in her 'Mythology and Monsters' phase. Heorot was the name of the beautiful mead hall that my mythological counterpart terrorized so it does not take a genius to figure out the background of the name of this real 'Heorot' now does it?

* * *

My siblings and I came to visit this place a lot, not only because it was a large, spacious area to have fun in, but also because many of our friends – and I use that term very lightly – would be found here lurking about because their families lived here. I did feel irritated that my family, the Experiment part of it anyway, did not live here in Heorot in my childhood and thus closer to our own kind, but I guess if actually _given_ the choice at that age, sleeping in the comforts of a house with my own silk bed would have been more preferable to me than sleeping on the hard, coarse, uncomfortable ground.

Keeping close together, all three of us trekked through the opening of Heorot and into the vast open and curiously quite chilly land that my people called "home". Like most of our visits to this place, there was a low hanging fog that only added to its creepiness. Towering menacingly over us and the land in general (used to kind of mark out where Heorot reached out to in terms of physical land) were jagged mounds of rock, shrouded by the fog so that they appeared much more menacing than they actually were. Heorot was not completely barren though, in the sense that scattered about inside it were bones. Animal bones. The remains of breakfasts, lunches and dinners. Some of them had been piled up around the land, mostly in between the mounds of rock, as if in some pathetic attempt to keep the place neat and tidy.

I heard a whimpering behind me and I looked back at Fafnir, whose ears had lowered and was taking a few steps back. He heard a look on his face that distinctly suggested that of fear. "What's his problem?" I asked Medusa, cocking my head over at him.

"He's scared." She told me simply.

Rubbing my temples and doing my best to keep myself from losing my cool, I said with a voice that clearly showed to my siblings I was trying to supress my inner rage, "Okay then…if little Faffy's scared of a place he's been to many times before like a little BABY! Then he do us both a favour by, I dunno…" I pointed my index claw in the direction from which we came over my brother's head. "GOING HOME!"

Fafnir looked hurt and his eyes were moistening around the edges and his bottom lip started to quiver. I simply crossed my arms and turned away. Oh, puh-lease.

"Don't you talk to Fafnir like that!" Medusa shouted angrily, giving me a heavy shove to my side. "You're making him cry!"

"Too bad." I retorted snobbishly, still looking away. "He'll just have to go home if he can't handle it. It's that simple."

"He can't go back on his own." Medusa told me and from the corner of my eye I saw she was consoling Fafnir by pulling him into her embrace. "He'll get lost."

Whirling around at them, I snapped as if I were talking to a complete idiot, "Then here's an idea: YOU take him home and do me a favour by leaving me alone like I had planned today!"

She got up in my face. "No-way!"

"Well if YOU'RE not going to take him back; I'M sure as Hell not taking him back and HE can't go back on his own…" I bit my lip and finally sighed exasperatedly. "Then he's going to have to stay with us, isn't he?" I looked back at my little brother and knowing that yelling wasn't going to help, leaned forward and told him sternly. "Look, Fafnir, nothing's going to happen to you, alright? You've got me and Medusa here, so don't worry about it and stop acting like a baby, okay?"

He nodded at me slightly and after I muttered to Medusa to keep an eye on him, we were back on track, heading deeper and deeper into Heorot. Quickly we became engulfed by the fog, causing us to enhance our vision to see through the blanket of bright grey. For a brief moment, it looked as if there was no one else here with our eyesight unable to make out any moving figures about the same size of us.

"_Hello!"_ My voice rang out and echoed throughout the land. No response. _"Yo! Anyone here? Come on!"_ Still no response.

Medusa pointed out the obvious. "I don't think anyone's here, Grendel."

Looking around a few more times, I was about to agree with her when at last, in the short off distance, a voice made itself heard. _"Hello? Who is there?"_ That voice sounded familiar and I called back in its direction for them to come forward, identifying ourselves as friends. A moment's pause and the owner of the voice came into vision as a silhouette from behind one of the nearby mounds of rock.

Fafnir was the first to making the figure out and began laughing in his typical manner, the sense of fear he held just moments before having vanished completely. Medusa and I blinked our eyes and spotted too whom it was with a sigh of relief.

"Heeey, Sikes!" I grinned toothily, opening up my arms to embrace him.

Sikes. This guy was everyone's favourite bastard. He was the offspring of Experiments 1-4-9, and 1-5-0, or Bonnie and Clyde as you better know them, being a member of the first generation of naturally conceived Experiments with my siblings and I. For those of you with little to no knowledge in literature, his name derived from the villainous burglar from Charles Dickens' classic, _Oliver Twist._ Strange enough, unlike us three, Sikes bore little to no resemblance to his parents. He had the appearance and physical structure of an average Experiment, with a dirty coat of swamp green and khaki fur. However, there were a few hints of both his parents on his person. He had dark arrow-like patches on his arms and legs, and a yellow V-shape stripe on his forehead, ala his mother and he was missing one of his limbs, which was replaced by a robotic one, just like his father. On his body, Sikes was wearing a small and crinkly grey coat that had its fair share of rips and stains.

Like his parents, Sikes had the uncanny skills of a thief, being able to steal a man's wallet, ring and newborn child without him even knowing. But unlike his parents, his intended steals were not ALWAYS money and valuables like jewellery, but sometimes as many generic items as he could fit into his coat.

Sikes embraced me back. "Grendel, you old Trog!" He said to me in a voice that had the faintest hint of a cockney accent from the streets of East London. "And Medusa, always a pleasure and hey, Faffy!" He ruffled the fur on top of Fafnir's head. "I haven't seen you lot for the best of two and a half months."

"Funny. We've been coming here hundreds of times; I'd thought we would have seen you."

"Ah, I've spent a lot of time "being shown the ropes" as it were." Sikes said proudly, taking a hold of the lapels of his jacket. "My old man, just the other night, showed me all about sneaking into sucker's houses and where all the best places to find "the goods" are."

Medusa smiled and rolled her eyes. "Fascinating."

Sikes then narrowed his eyes and looked at us closely. "Hey, have you guys been drinking a lot of Kool-Aid or something?"

I raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?" He pointed down at my chest, which I looked down to see was still splattered with drying blood from lunch, as well as my arms and claws. I glanced over at my brother and sister, who were both still covered in it as well. "Oh, it's nothing…" I replied smugly and examined the back of my black claws. "We just killed and ate ourselves a wild mother boar, that's all."

"What?" Sikes' short ears pricked up.

"Oh, and her piglets, too."

He shook his head in disbelief. "No way."

My sister reached her claws back and swatted my brother on the back, making him lurch forward and begin coughing and hacking until something flew out of his mouth and onto the coarse ground. It was the top half of the greyed skeleton of one of the piglets we had feasted on before our arrival, coated in green slime and saliva.

"That enough proof for ya?" I picked the carcass up carefully between my claws to avoid the slime in front of Sikes' eyes before giving it a toss into a nearby pile of bones.

"That's amazing!" Sikes grinned, now looking at all three of us as if we were heroes. "The largest thing I've ever caught is a sewer rat!"

Unless it has not been established to you yet, which I'm sure it already has, my people have developed a taste for flesh ever since the Battle of the Leroys. The majority of us, at least at this point, were omnivores by principle, but a growing number of Experiments were slowly but surely adopting 'Carnivorism' and preyed upon the vulnerable wildlife of the island to sustain themselves. Rumours circulated among the populace as well at this period that some of the carnivores' greed could not be slaked and so were targeting humans, thinking of them and their offspring especially as delicacies, in order to satisfy their hunger. I would be lying if I said this was entirely untrue, what with the "mysterious" chain of attacks that had left several people, minors included, dead with injuries that suggested they had been attacked by "wild animals". Don't be judgemental! We Experiments just have fine a taste for flesh and blood. It is a part of who we are and if some of us want to take the extra mile, is that such a crime? At this point of time in my childhood, it was not as big an issue, but within a few years it sure as hell would be.

"Yes, well, we all pity you." I told him quickly, walking past him and looking around at the assortments of bone piles around. "So Sikes, getting to the point, you know where a guy can get himself some good bones to chew? I need the marrow."

He looked at me confused. "Why? I mean, I thought you'd have gnawed on the boar."

"Hmm, yeah, you'd have thought so, but I was so full and I didn't, ya know, feel the…" I raked my claws though the fur on my chest. _"Cravings._ One or two will do just fine."

Now Sikes appeared a little uneasy and fiddled with his claws. "W-well, I'm not really supposed to tell anyone about where the good bones are. Mom and Dad like to keep them for ourselves a-and they would be pretty mad if…" He sounded more nervous on the last part. It was not a secret Sikes' parents raised him "by the belt" and he had marks on his back and hide to show it. "I just don't think it's that good of an idea and-"

"Sikes…" Medusa said slowly and walked up to his side. Her eyes widened and glistened and she purposely leaned into him so that her head touched underneath his chin. She asked him in a sickeningly sweet voice, "Aww, you can let my brothers and I chew on a few old bones, can't you? I'm sure your parents wouldn't mind."

Poor Sikes was now breathing heavily and pulling at his jacket collar. His legs were shaking and I swear I could have seen sweat beads forming on his face. "S-sure. I...I-I guess a few wouldn't hurt. I-If it's really necessary."

So Sikes took us down to the spot where he and his family slept, right in front of a rock mound. There was a filthy grey blanket on which was placed a lantern and a radio, as well as some other products that looked moderately valuable and so were most likely stolen. Right next to the mound was a messy but big pile of bones, white and filled up with marrow. There sight of them caused me to salivate.

"Okay, here. Just one for each of you guys and that's it." He picked up three smallish bones and handed them to each of us. "Mom and Dad will kill me if they find out."

Grabbing the bone selfishly, I bit into it again and again, appeasing my cravings. My teeth needed the exercise as well. Fafnir had snapped through the bone within minutes and then sucked whatever marrow he could from both pieces. That did not take very long either and found himself going after my bone, at which I promptly shoved him off.

"Hey, where ARE your parents, anyhow?" Medusa asked Sikes, resting herself against the rock lazily and licking the bone up and down. She swivelled her head about the seemingly empty Heorot and added, "In fact, where is everybody else?"

"Well, my parents are on business, as usual." By "business", this of course meant going on another stealing spree. "They leave me here to keep an eye on things 'cause I'm "too young" to join the family business just yet, so that's why my Dad's been showing me around. As for everyone else, hardly anyone hangs about Heorot in the day. They usually go out doing their jobs or getting food, that sort of thing."

My cravings to chew on the bone had finally subsided and idly balanced it on the tip if my index claw. "Boy Sikes, I gotta admit, I'm kind of jealous of you."

All three of them did a retake there. Sikes gave me a "what the hell" look. "Why on earth would you be jealous of me?"

"Because you've got a great Dad." I explained nonchalantly. "I'd kill to have a Dad as cool as yours."

"Grendel, are you totally mental?" Sikes did a twirling motion next to his head. "Yeah, my Dad's a great thief, but your Dad is Experiment 6-2-6! He's the top banana; the head honcho; the king pin!"

I got on all fours and stretched out my back like a cat, cringing as I did. "You forgot to mention "uptight", "grouchy", "uncaring" and "jackass". Those are pretty important." Looking next to me, I spotted Fafnir staring longingly ate my bone with his tongue flopping out from the corner of his mouth. "Oh, just take it!" I tossed exasperatedly his way and he caught it in mid-air. "I only hope it splinters and perforates your bowels, you mangy, flea-bitten degenerate!"

"Don't mind my brother, Sikes." Medusa assured Sikes, twirling her bone in between her claws. "He's just undergoing some _Daddy issues." _

She had some nerve. "Hey! Dad's the one with the issues, not me!" I yelled at her, she did not flinch. I sat down and huffed, "I'm fine."

"Whatever you say, Grendel, whatever you-"

She stopped. Her eyes widened and ears shot up, as did mine. The bone fell from Fafnir's mouth as he too stopped to listen with us. Sikes, who was the only one here without such a keen sense of hearing, stopped but looked at us confused as to what was happening. He looked like he was about to say something but Medusa flew her claw over his mouth to silence him.

"You guys hear that?" I asked my brother and sister quietly and they nodded to confirm. "Hide." We spun around and dashed behind the rock mound, pulling Sikes back with us, peeking out our heads slightly to hear the growing sound.

Sikes managed to break free of Medusa's grasp and whisper, _"What is it? What do you hear?"_

"Voices. And footsteps." I muttered back through clenched teeth. "Someone is entering Heorot."

"Experiments?"

I shook my head. "Unlikely. The footsteps sound too off." My right ear twitched and listened close again. "…there are two of them and…one of them at least must be human."

None of us said a word and instead continued to listen intently from our hiding place, with Sikes doing his best without such as good hearing. We stood there for a moment or two, awaiting the sound of the voices to grow louder for us to make it out more clearly. The best of seven seconds past before the voices became recognizable and understandable and the silhouettes of their owners came into view.

"Oh, great! Now we're lost!"

"This wouldn't have happened if you'd just gone to school today!"

"I already told you, Gigi, I forgot to study. They'll just make me do it tomorrow."

"You should've spent your time studying then, not dragging me into the jungle!"

"Well _I _didn't think that far ahead, now why don't you for once stop yapping and get off my… hey, what's wrong with you?"

A chilling moment of silence. "…Myrtle, we have to get out of here. Now!"

Gigi. Myrtle. Hearing those two words made the grins on our faces stretch wide enough until they reached our ears. I felt my fur standing up on end and my shoulders shudder in excitement. This was just b-e-a-utiful!

I'm sure that you are familiar with Myrtle Edmonds? The annoying neighbourhood bully who was constantly giving Lilo a hard time and probably still does to this day. At this point of time in my youth, her bullying of Lilo had become significantly less frequent but still just as mean-spirited, especially after the Battle of the Leroys, where she finally, unlike the majority of her mind learned of my peoples' true identity. What, you actually thought she remained clueless of it all? Her pet, Experiment 0-0-7 or as she named her, Gigi, had actually talked in front of her during the battle. When the hurly-burly was done and the battle lost and won, Lilo had to spill the beans to Myrtle all about it. I'm not particularly sure what her exact reaction was, but I can safely say it must have been difficult to swallow. As for her relationship with the Experiment populace itself, it was not as bad as you thought it would be due to her amazingly close relationship with Gigi, but obviously it was not all too cordial. Lilo was like the patron saint of my people and if you had a problem with her…you had a problem with us, so you wouldn't be too wrong in arguing that maybe that was why Myrtle's bullying had become less constant. Would _you_ want to keep picking on someone who you knew had an army of over six hundred super powered alien beasts behind them?

Myrtle and my siblings and I, however, had a more _special_ kind of relationship. From the first time we laid our eyes on that pathetic little waste of flesh, an instant dislike of her grew inside us and as years passed by, it only grew into a bubbling crock of hatred. We quickly established ourselves as the banes of the girl's existence as soon as we were old enough to walk; even letting some of our friends like Sikes join in. It wasn't just because Myrtle picked on Lilo that we decided to give her Hell; we were unwilling to put up with her shit full-stop. Whilst others were for the most willing to turn the other cheek at her rude comments and remarks, Medusa, Fafnir and I would bite the metaphorical fist at its first swing. I do suppose you could call it karma for how she kept picking on Lilo, although our methods were a lot more…physical than they were psychological. Hey, as the old phrase states: "what goes around, comes around" and little Myrtle was long overdue.

Coming into full view, we could at last physically confirm it was our favourite little red head with Experiment 0-0-7, or Gigi, the Experiment designed to drive everyone insane with her never ending barking standing by her side. Now THIS Experiment was a freak among freaks. She was very different to the others, in that she looked not at all like an Experiment and lived like some common human's pet, much to the chagrin of most of the Experiment Army. They casted her off, believing if she looked and acted like a dog, then she may as well be one and so unofficially barred her from Heorot. Harsh, I know.

It appeared at this moment that Gigi had recognized this place as Heorot and knowing the dangers of them being there, was hurrying to get herself and her master out of here immediately. Facing my siblings and Sikes, I made a twirling gesture with my index claw and mouthed "vulture" to them. All four of us then got on all fours, began forcibly salivating and kept low to hide under the fog whilst we slowly approached the two unsuspecting dullards. For good measure, I made my back spines and antenna spring out from my body and made sure the blood on my maw was visible to her.

"Why?" asked Myrtle sceptically.

"Just listen to me; this place is dangerous. Let's get out of here before-"

Right on cue, Fafnir gave out a "laugh" that echoed throughout the vast, open space, multiplying the creep factor by at least ten. Even I was surprised at how well that was pulled off and judging by Gigi and Myrtle's terrified expressions, it had done its job.

By now, Myrtle knew there was no point in running. We were so quick we would be on her and ripping her head clean off from her shoulders before she could even turn around. Growling like the mangy dogs she used to cast our people off as, we quickly surrounded the two, Medusa, Fafnir and Sikes circling them like vultures while I sat down in front of her snickering.

"Well, well, well, Medusa, what have we got here?" I asked my sister and scratched the fur on my chest.

"Hmm, not really sure, Grendel." Medusa feigned her ignorance and rolled her eyes over at Fafnir and Sikes. "Faffy, Sikes, what do you guys think?" Typically, Fafnir looked like he was about to suffer a hernia from laughing.

Sikes decided to answer the question, "If I'm not mistaken, Medusa, I believe we have just found ourselves…" He jerked his head forward, his sharp teeth bared viciously at the frightened Myrtle and Gigi as if here were about to swallow Gigi whole. _"A rodent and a __**weasel!" **_That earned a few laughs from us.

Bravely, or stupidly (depending on your point of view), Myrtle made a pathetic attempt to hold here ground. "What are you…guys doing here?"

"Sikes lives here. As for us, we were just dropping by." I replied casually and took a few steps forward, at which they took a few back. "I must say, Myrtle, of all people, I never would have thought to see you here in Heorot." My head cocked the other way. "Shouldn't you be in school, right now?"

Myrtle bit her lip, her eyes darting left and right at us, expecting an attack at any moment. She took in a deep, hasty breath and retorted angrily, "Shouldn't YOU be beating off the buzzards for your next bite?" That really got us going, with Medusa holding each of her sides to stop them splitting.

"Actually…" Medusa began, calming herself down. She ran a claw down her blood splattered maw and flicked a trace of the red stuff on the tip, which she then licked hungrily. Myrtle only just then noticed that were covered in blood and her front fell apart. "We've just _had_ our bite, Myrtle. Hey, who knows? It might turn out in the end that you _knew_ the poor idiot."

"K-knew him?"

The look of sheer terror on her face was nearly enough to make my heart leap with joy, so I played along with my sister's lie. "Oh, yes! Poor little squirt didn't even put up a fight…" We approached her more threateningly, still circling her and Gigi until they were both trapped in an extremely tight spot, the only way out being the opening of our mouths. "Perhaps _you_ would go well with a little dash of garnish. What say you?"

"You…you can't do anything to me!" Myrtle yelled, trying but failing to sound angry. Her fear was now as transparent as mineral water. It amused me how desperate this girl was to make herself look big and tough, especially in front of a pack of ferocious Experiments that could cut through her flesh like tissue paper. Again, it is up to you – brave or stupid.

"Well, uh, technically, they can." Gigi told Myrtle, backing up against her and smiling nervously. "After all, we _are_ on their land."

"Since when could these _Trogs_ own la-?"

Gigi jumped up and shut Myrtle's trap. "Shut-up." She hissed near silently, before turning her attention back to us. "L-l-look, Grendel…._cousin_. This is all just a…a big mistake. We weren't trying to come into your land, honest. We got lost and, well, found ourselves here. Surely you can understand mistakes like that happen, right? So if it's alright with you, we'll just head out the way and-" She shut up when I clicked my jaw two inches from her face and went to cower behind her master.

I strummed my chin a couple of times, looking from Sikes to my brother and sister, before shrugging nonchalantly, "Okay, sure, you can go, no problem." Both Gigi and Myrtle sighed in relief, though the others looked relatively disappointed. "But there's this one little thing I need first, what was it? Hmmm…ah, yes, that's right…" In a flash, I jumped right up into Myrtle's face and screamed as loud as I could, making the scariest face I could, _**"BOO!"**_

The pasty, red headed fell on her back and screamed so loud it rolled up and down the mounds of rock near us. A moment of silence followed before me and the others burst out laughing hysterically and the useless human withering on the ground and the pathetic excuse for an Experiment next to her.

Wiping a tear from her face from laughing too much, Medusa chuckled and waved the two off dismissively, "You still here? I think Grendel made it clear; beat it!" The odd cackle or two escaping our lips, the four of turned around and walked off in that direction. No other activity entertained us more than torturing that kid.

Seeing she and Gigi were now safe, Myrtle got back up and brushed the dust from her shirt. "Y-yeah, well…yeah, you better keep walking!" She yelled after us, trying to salvage a glimmer of dignity or victory from this humiliating moment of hers. If only she had known to shut up and walk away with whatever dignity she had left. But no, Myrtle didn't and it was going to cost her dearly. "Don't think you Trogs can make a monkey out of Myrtle Edmonds! You're so stupid, that when you tried to enter a stupid contest, they said, "Sorry, no professionals!""

"Myrtle, okay, that's enough." Gigi tried to warn her to no avail.

"Oh, and don't get me started on your _**MAMAS!"**_

We all stopped dead in our tracks, eyes wide and still staring in the same direction we were walking in. Everything went so quiet that I swear you could have heard the smallest pin drop on the hard, dried up ground.

My head and shoulder found themselves swivelling around 180 degrees to fact that fucking bitch. I gave her a glare so hard that if looks could kill, this one would be the H-Bomb.

"What did you just say…_about our mothers?"_

Rule one: you do NOT insult an Experiment/New Turogian's mother. You just don't. Hey, of you feel like committing suicide, then by all means do so, but if you actually value your life, then for the love of the lord, do not do it.

That instant, Myrtle's facial expression showed that she knew she had crossed an almost sacred line and began to recoil. "N-nothing." She lied.

Glancing to my sides, I saw my brother and sister and Sikes facing Myrtle with looks on their faces almost as intimidating as mine. You should have _seen_ Faffy's face. Gone was that dopey little Troglodyte you'd love to hug and pet, replaced by a vicious, snarling beast, claws bared to kill and teeth flashed with foam leaking out through small each gap. This was a boy who _loved_ his mama and was willing to _kill_ to defend her honour.

"You have done it this time, Edmonds." Sikes growled with murder in his black orb eyes. His mother may have beaten him more times than a professional boxer, but that did not make him love and respect her any less.

"I am going to close my eyes and count to ten…" I told Myrtle and Gigi, my voice full of malice and did so, sitting down at the same time. Next to me, Medusa and Sikes did the same thing, whilst Fafnir just kept glaring at the hated child. "That will give you enough time to run."

Taking in a deep breath, I proceeded to count. "One…Two…Three…Four…" My left eye opened up to see Myrtle and Gigi running as fast as they could in the direction they came. "Five, Six, Seven, EightNineTen! **KILL HER!"**

Before I had finished my sentence, all four of us sprang forth and run after Myrtle and 0-0-7 with the speed and ferocity of a cheetah, maybe even more. Our anger was our fuel and it was in no shortage of supply. No one cussed out my beloved mother and lived to gloat about it!

Myrtle did not get any further than ten feet before Fafnir caught up and skidded in front of her, snapping his jaws as if to rip the flesh from her bone. Gigi, rather boldly, leaped in front of her master defensively and began barking to challenge my brother. Fafnir just snatched her up in his teeth, shook the white fur ball around like a rag doll and finally tossed it a few feet away, skidding across the ground.

Horrified beyond belief, Myrtle turned to a rather large mountain of bones and without a second thought, began frantically climbing up the side of it, her ankles barely escaping Medusa and Sikes' jaws of death. Unknowns to her, I had taken position at the other end of the mountain and opened my mouth, awaiting my prize to slide down my throat. I wasn't as lucky for instead, Myrtle landed a few inches above my mouth, colliding against the top of my head.

The two of us tumbled against the ground, me being the first to get up. At the first opportunity, I shoved my claws forward, but only to just scratch at the fabric of her shirt. Myrtle had picked up one of the bones from the pile, a femur and started swinging it at me like a baseball bat in an attempt to keep me back. At the third swing, I caught the bone in my mouth and tossed it aside.

I pulled my claws back and slashed at her, leaving a tear in her shirt and sending her falling on her back. "MEEGA NALA QUEESTA!" I would later kick myself for using such vulgar language, but in the heat of the moment, I could not care less. Seeing Myrtle in such a weak and vulnerable position gave me a rare opportunity, which I seized immediately by leaping on top of her, pinning down her wrists.

You know, looking back on it to this day, I still haven't the slightest idea what exactly I was planning to do now that Myrtle was trapped in my grasp. My drooling teeth were bared; my hot breath seething out into her face like steam and my grip was so strong, any harder and Myrtle's wrists would have snapped off like twigs. At the moment in time, my mind was clouded with animalistic rage with only one word thumping in my skull: _KILL. _And why? Because she bad-mouthed my mother, that was it. In fact, she did really even get the chance to properly insult her as we were already on her like beasts. When you actually thought about it, it all sounded ridiculous and the possibility I was going to rip the child limb from limb over it is enough to make you hit your head repeatedly against a wall. Yes, it is fun to fantasise about what could have happened, but we're focusing on fact and fact dictates that I did not get chance to lay a single claw more on her.

Within a blink of an idea, I found myself thrown off of Myrtle and tumbling along the ground. It all happened so fast it was like a big blue blur. After shaking my head and regaining my senses, I realized that I myself was now being pinned roughly to the ground but by the shoulders. What really shocked me was _who _it was pinning me down like some animal for an Experiment's lunch.

"D-Dad?" I gasped, looking up at the angry blue Experiment above me. He did not respond and instead spun his head over at Myrtle, who had now managed to pull herself up and was white as a freshly cleaned bed sheet.

"Get out of here, Myrtle!" He barked at her harshly and when she did not respond but just stand there in shock, he barked once again, "NOW!"

Myrtle spun around on her heels and took off in the direction which she and Gigi had arrived. Funny, I did not recall seeing Gigi again in Heorot that day, but I presumed she met up with Myrtle and left together. Although, after seeing Fafnir totally savage her in front of everybody, it wouldn't be going too far to think she would have needed some stitches.

Father glowered down at me, his claws still keeping me in place. Meanwhile, all the burning anger I had felt during those last five or so minutes seemed to vanish into thin air. I suddenly found myself once again a young, tiny Experiment and being trapped beneath my father and his terrifying gaze had replaced that previous anger with fear.

"D-D-Dad, I…I'm-" I began, completely lost for words.

"What did you think you were doing?" He yelled, his muzzle lowing towards mine.

I had never seen my father so mad before in my young life. There were some moments I could recall that were up there, but this one for some reason stood high over the rest. Feeling intimidated by his presence, all I could conjure up was a simple, "I'm sorry…"

Dad's hard glare faltered momentarily and released his grip of me, standing up on his hind legs. As I reluctantly stood up next to him, I looked over my Father to see Medusa and Fafnir coming up behind him. Medusa looked particularly timid, while Fafnir had reverted back to his blank, clueless expression. Not too far behind them was Sikes and too my surprise, grasping him hard by the shoulder was his mother, Experiment 1-4-9, or Bonnie, who looked just as or even more angry than my father. The fact that she was holding a thick leather belt tight in her claws proved it.

Glaring from me to Medusa, but of course not Fafnir, Father paused for a moment before sighing heavily, "We're going home. Come along." He turned around and continued to walk in the direction Myrtle had left, heading towards Heorot's exist and thus towards home. Not questioning him, my siblings and I followed closely behind, our ears lowered and heads hung low. What especially me made shrink was that I knew this would not be the end of it. He was going to have a few angry words for us later and the fear of them sent a shiver up and down my spine. Despite my looming punishment, what had really puzzled me then and there was how in the world did Father catch us in the act? Was he just passing by and by chance heard what was going on? I would find out the answer to my question later, but still, it was something that had truly baffled me.

Looking behind us out the corner of my eye, I could see Bonnie looking furious at Sikes and telling him to take his jacket off. Thankfully, I managed to block out the sounds of the belt striking Sikes on the back and his yelps of pain. But it wasn't _his _welfare that plagued my mind though; it was the thought of my father doing something similar to us. I wasn't half wrong…

* * *

**(A/N) I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. It sure did take a while, but I finally got it finished. I apologize for not going further into the relationship between Grendel and Stitch in this chapter as I first wanted to, but I've decided that that is what I will dedicate the entirety of the next chapter to. So, again, I hope you found this chapter fun to read and I will back with the next chapter as soon as I can. Please do read and review.**


	4. Chapter IV: Old Scars Run Deep

**(A/N) Here is Chapter IV. This whole chapter is dedicated solely to Grendel's relationships with his family, or more specifically, his mother and father. It gets pretty deep, just to warn you. There is one scene here that can be interpreted as a matter of child abuse, although again, it's a matter of interpretation due to the circumstance and your own views of child discipline. Enjoy.**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter IV**

**Old Scars Run Deep**

The walk home was long and silent, crossing through the jungles and streets until we at last reached the house. All the while, my siblings and I kept the same short distance behind Father, neither of us looking at each other, preferring the sight of the grass, mud and concrete we walked on instead. Shame and fear were weighing heavily upon our shoulders; shame of the incident with Myrtle back in Heorot and fear of what our father was going to do to us as punishment. He was no softy, my father. When he laid down the law, he _laid _it down. I already knew I was going to get the brunt of it, I always did.

By the time we reached the house, it was 4:00 PM and the sun was only just starting to set in the distance. Amazing, isn't it, how quickly time flies? Lilo was back from school, having done exceptionally well on the algebra test and Nani was starting preparations for dinner. The delicious smell of meatloaf and corn wafted out from the kitchen window and into my snout, or nose, or whatever it should be called it and made my mouth salivate. Too bad for us, we would not be allowed to enjoy it.

Father ordered us to stay outside and wait by the spot where the stake Fafnir was tied up to every night was impaled until further notice. We were stuck there for the best of two and a half hours, completely missing dinner, probably as part of our punishment. Actually, no, that is not entirely accurate as like every other evening, the kitchen door opened up and Fafnir was called to get his dinner of raw meat and drink, which he was quick to chow down on with gusto. Hey, it's Fafnir we're talking about here, since when did he ever really get punished? Still, going without any dinner left my stomach growling louder than the sound of construction outside your window on a formerly peaceful morning. Yeah, I know I had myself a whole mother boar that day but we Experiments had relatively high metabolisms. We could eat ourselves a hundred boars and could easily start again a few hours later. Nani was actually fine with us three catching our own food in the wild – she complained we were eating her out of house and home _and fingers! _The less you know about that last part the better.

Speaking of our lunchtime feast, Father had taken notice of the dried blood on our maws and arms and after dinner, when the darkness of the evening was settling in, sent Jumba out with a hose to wash us off.

"That is being good look for you three, but by 6-2-6's request, I am required to spray you off." He told us in that thick Russian accent of his as he held up the nozzle of the hose and proceeded to spray us with it at full power. The water did its job, but the pressure made it almost impossible for us to stand up straight and scrub the blood off with our claws. I could tell by Jumba's smirk that he was enjoying every moment of seeing us squirm.

After that, we spent the next ten minutes shivering and trying to shake the water out of our fur, but with limited success. That's when Lilo came outside and walked up to us, holding a thick red towel in her arms. Sweet girl took the liberty of helping us dry by getting down and ruffling us each with the towel.

"Lower…lower. Just between my…that's it." I purred when Lilo scrubbed in the area between my neck and hump, a spot I always seemed to miss when cleaning myself. She had just finished drying my brother and sister and was now working on me. "Thanks Lilo, you're fantastic."

Lilo was always wonderful to us, ever since we were each little balls of fur crying in her arms. She loved every Experiment, no matter how rough and violent they acted and that is something pretty difficult to find in most people, humans especially. It was she who gave us our names and she who first started playing with me when I was for a brief period an only child. Lilo truly was one of the sweetest living things on the earth, even as she started to approach her adolescent years when most humans started adopting most of their elder's vices like smoking and drugs.

A surge of pain shot up one of my four arms – the withered one that also appeared thinner and limper than the others. I grabbed it and cringed. Lilo for a moment thought she had hurt me, but I assured her that I had just overworked my bad arm today, and so it was coming back to haunt me. Worthless thing always acted up around the evenings.

"Okay, you're done." She told me, removing the towel and flinging it over her shoulder. Medusa was removing her blood-stained shirt, which Lilo helped her with and flung over her shoulder as well.

Just then, we all turned our heads at the sound of the front door of the house opening and shutting loudly. My Father walked over to the side of the porch that faced Fafnir's sleeping spot, sitting down at a chair and small table and opening a bottle of beer with his bare claws. He took a sip from it before glancing over at Lilo, my siblings and I and giving a nod to the first as if saying 'it's time.'

Looking somewhat nervous and tugging at her collar, Lilo looked at Fafnir and told him as she patted his head slowly, "Uh, Fafnir, your Daddy wants to talk to you for a moment." Fafnir seemed to understand and on all fours as always, scuttled across the dirt, up onto the porch and to Father. She then said to Medusa and I, "Stitch is gonna talk to you all individually. He's gonna talk to Medusa next and then you, Grendel, okay?" Stitch. The name Lilo had given my father many years ago amused me still to this very day, although I'll admit it DOES fit as my father looked like he had been STITCHED together. Okay, c'mon, that's a funny one!

Nevertheless, we simply nodded to her and she headed back inside with the towel and Medusa's shirt. Eight or so seconds later, Fafnir twirled around and ran off the porch, the stupid expression on his face unchanged. No surprise it was that like every other time we got in trouble Fafnir received the least amount scolding. To me, his stupidity was a "Get out of trouble free" card and there was more than one occasion in which I wish I had it.

As Fafnir re-joined us, dropping to the ground like a dog, Father looked over at us again, this time giving a nod to Medusa, who gulped fearfully and made her way towards the porch. I knew how it was going to go; after his slight reprimanding of Fafnir, Father would proceed to interrogate Medusa for the full story as well as scold her for her part in it. Then after that, I was up to receive the brunt of his anger. That was the basic model of our punishment. In my father's eyes, it always seemed to be me who was at the most fault.

Watching my brother roll about on the ground and playing with a rubber toy duck in his teeth, my ears picked up the clear sound of my sister blubbering like an overgrown baby to our father several feet away. Obviously, she was telling her own dramatized story to him about the incident in Heorot and how it was in no way _her_ fault. I took a quick look up to see Father pulling her into a warm hug. You can tell what a little Daddy's Girl Medusa was and it sickened me.

"_Grendel!"_

Finally, it was my turn. Bracing myself and feeling my upper lip twitch to my right nostril, I left blissfully ignorant Fafnir to play with his toy and made my way up onto the porch. Before I reached the steps, I knew that this was by no means going to end well. My father was definitely not shy of using corporal punishment, especially on me. As Medusa passed by me, heading into the house, she leaned her head and mouthed, _"Grendel, good luck",_ to which I barely nodded. Lucky bitch.

You have already been given the idea that my father and I's relationship was not all together strong. He was my father and as his son, I was to at least honour him. He was Experiment 6-2-6, for crying out loud! One of the most powerful and admired Experiments ever created, and when really young, yes, I did feel an overwhelming sense of respect for him. Yet with age, I did start to become more and more rebellious in attitude and consequently grew apart. To put it mildly, we increasingly saw less and less eye to eye. Sometimes that happens between a father and son, but I did keep on insisting that I loved him as much a son can love father. Unfortunately, that could not last either.

I stopped before my father, my ears dropped and holding my hands together, whilst hardly looking up at him. He was wearing a zipped up black jacket with a red striped on one side over his otherwise bare furred body. The bottle in his claws was nearly empty and there was a second empty one on the table. Father always had a few drinks to calm himself down before he started yelling.

There was a painful moment of silence between us, until I looked up to see him staring into space, his eyes narrowed and lip bitten. Taking a deep breath, he at last began to speak to me.

"I'm mad with you, Grendel. _Very_ mad." He looked down at me, his eyebrow raised. "Aren't you gonna ask me why?"

"Okay…" I looked down again. "Why?"

"'Why' what?"

Feeling my stomach drop to the floor, I muttered quietly but loud enough for him to hear me, "Why are you mad with me, Dad?" He always did this for the soul purpose of watching me squirm.

"I'm mad with you because of how you behaved today." Father raised the bottle and took another sip of it, leaving only a small amount of beer left. "You know I've got no problem with you three going out on your own and into Heorot, that's perfectly fine. But when you do, I expect you to act _responsibly!_ And that means _not_ mindlessly attacking humans!" His English and pronunciation had improved so much during his many years on Earth, it was striking. I had seen the many home videos of him, most of them from the period where he and Lilo were still tracking down the other Experiments, and if you compared the fun, energetic and giddy Stitch from those video to the stern, hardened, refined one whom I called father, you might not have even guessed that they were the same person.

I tried to speak up, "B-but Dad, I…"

"Ha-bub-bub-bub! No buts!" He cut me off loudly, holding his claw up. "Let me make this clear to you, Grendel: you can eat any animal in the jungle, you can even endangered dolphins for all I care. But no matter what the circumstance, you do NOT attack humans, Myrtle included, like some savage beast!" He set his bottle down and rubbed his temples as if he had a splitting headache. "What _were_ you thinking? You could have KILLED her, Grendel, but that didn't seem to cross your mind back there, did it?"

My lip was now twitching so violently, for a moment I thought it was going to completely tear off from my face. Inside, I knew my father was right but of course, I didn't want to completely admit it, so I muttered something, speaking into my chest, and it caught my father's attention.

"What was that?"

I raised my head and spoke louder and more confidently, "She started it, Dad! Myrtle deserved what she got!"

Father crossed his arms and rolled his eyes sarcastically. "Oh yeah, uh huh, sure she did."

"She did!" By now, I was sounding more and more like a five-year-old human child having a temper tantrum, balling up my claws to boot. "She insulted my mother, _your_ wife! I was defending her honour!"

"Grendel, all she said was, and I'm quoting Medusa here…" He closed his eyes and pressed one claw against the side of his head. ""And don't get me started on your Mamas!" Is that or is that not what Myrtle said?"

Once again, Father had me trapped and all I could do was lower my head and nod, feeling increasingly embarrassed. He was right on that point – I had seriously overreacted to an actually petty cuss.

"Yeah, just as I thought." Father said, getting off from the chair and walking over to the blue wooden bars. "You went bananas over something so ridiculous! Don't get me wrong, I know Myrtle can get be a little bitch, but that is _no_ excuse! I've told you a million times; you have got to learn to not let these things get to you." He now leaned his elbow against one of the bars and ran his claws down the face frustrated. "But surprise, surprise, you let them. I mean, what do you think would have happened if I didn't interfere back there? What if the _worst_ happened? Couldn't you have just thought for one moment about how much trouble you and your whole family would have gotten into? No, you didn't think; you never do, Grendel!"

Now he was just being unfair. Yes, on principle, he was right that I had gone too far, but like always he was making it sound as if it were all my fault. Letting my indignation guide me, I bared my teeth and barked, "STOP IT!"

Father turned around and stared at me, looking concerned. My sudden outburst seemed to take him by surprise.

"Just stop it!"

"Stop what?"

"I mean stop blaming me for everything!" I continued to yell, my fur now standing on end and blood pumping throughout my veins so fast you could see them bulging on the side of my scrawny neck a mile away. "You always do this! You always blame ME for what happens! Well, you wanna know something, DAD? In case you haven't noticed, I wasn't the only person there! Fafnir nearly tore Gigi in two, nearly killing _her,_ but I didn't see you giving _him_ Hell like you're giving me!"

"Yes, he did! But that's different, Grendel and you know it! Fafnir's practically still a baby and he doesn't understand-"

"Oh no, what you mean is he doesn't get in trouble because he's a FUCKING RETARD!"

"**Don't talk about your little brother like that!" **Father roared furiously, getting up close in my face, but this time I was not going to back down. I had taken enough of his shit and now it was _my_ turn to yell.

Giving him a heavy shove backwards, I shouted back, "It's true, Dad! Whenever we get in trouble, you just blame it all on me, no matter what my brother or sister did!" When I really look back at it, this was the first time I ever "called the old man out" and it felt absolutely exhilarating. "You can't blame Fafnir because he's too stupid and you won't blame Medusa because she's your favourite! Parents aren't supposed to pick favourites, Dad, but it doesn't take a genius to figure out that you love Medusa more than me!"

He genuinely looked shocked by that tirade, especially the last part. "Th-that's not true!" He spat back. "You're my children, I care about all of you the same!"

"Yes it is true!" I screamed so loud that I'm surprised the whole island did not hear it. "Just admit it; you HATE me! If you really did love me like a Dad should, you wouldn't treat me as bad as you do!" Now this is where I made a big mistake. "But hey, I guess it's easier to keep saying everything's my fault than just admitting that you're a LOUSY DAD!"

"What did you just say?" My father's eyes narrowed down to slits and a growl was escaping his throat.

"You heard me! I've seen some of the parents on _Maury_ and I can safely say that you SUCK!" Unfortunately for me, my rage had blinded me from seeing just how far I was pushing it. His full anger was by now reaching the surface and the possibility him being pushed over the edge was becoming inevitable. "All you ever do is complain, you never try to make things better! SCREW YOU!"

He hissed venomously, "Grendel, you better quit while you're ahead and apologise, right now!"

Arrogantly, I crossed my arms and looked the other way. "No." Was my flat response.

"Say you're sorry, now!" Father's voice was getting more and more threatening but I failed to notice.

"NO!"

"_**GRENDEL!"**_

Whirling around, I did the first thing that came to my mind; I cumulated the saliva in my mouth and _spat at him._

That did it.

_Crack!_

It all happened so fast. A loud cracking sound followed by my head spinning 90 degrees to the right. Everything went dead silent, even the crickets chirping in the distance. Seconds later, I slowly reached up and felt the left side of my face and then looked down at my claws. There was warm pink blood on my palm, _my_ blood. My own father had just slashed me across the face.

Whatever anger I previously felt had now drained away and for the second time today, the first time being Heorot, I was brought back down to Earth and harshly reminded of the puny, insignificant Troglodyte I was.

Whimpering like a wounded puppy, I looked up at my father pathetically, whose right set of claws were now tinted with my blood. The burning rage he felt five seconds ago had been extinguished and was being replaced by a staggering sense of horrified guilt of what he had just done to his own child.

He looked down for a split second at his blood stained claws and back up at me. The aged Experiment had never struck anyone like that before, except that one time to Lilo, and that was when his uncharged molecules were causing him to malfunction. This time, however, he had no excuse.

Reaching out a comforting claw to me, Father stammered in a far different tone than before, "G-Grendel, I…"

"No!" I backed away from him fearfully.

"But I-"

"NO!"

Heart racing, I turned around and jumped onto the wooden wall, clinging onto it with my claws. Not casting a second glance at my father, I climbed up the wall frantically trying to get away from him. He called after me again and again, but I just ignored his pleas and kept on climbing up onto the edge of the roof. Stopping to catch my breath, my ears wondered off to spot Fafnir back on the ground, sitting down by the impaled stake with a pale and horror-struck face. He had seen the whole event unravel and was terrified to see what Daddy had done to his big brother. Good, it was about time the stupid bastard got a glimmer of understanding of the situation instead of residing in the haven of his own stupidity. Shaking him off my mind, I proceeded to make my way up the room to get away from him, my father, _everyone._

_

* * *

_

After the…incident, I continued to climb right up onto the top of the dome where Lilo, mother and _he_ slept. I stayed there for less than a minute, letting my heart rate return to normality from the sudden rush before lowering myself down towards my room, a place I had not returned to for quite a while.

My bedroom was a small rectangular pod attached to the side of the house, next to the dome tower. It had one circular window that I always kept a creak open to let in some fresh air and a light attached into the ceiling that I really used due to the low humming noise it always made. The walls were unpainted steel and were dull enough for you not to see your reflection in but certainly cold to the touch. Little decorated them but a book shelf filled with such intellectual texts like _Das Capital,_ _1984, Animal Farm _and even some of the most controversial like _Mein Kampf._ Yes, I am aware that at this point I was still a young child, but being the offspring of an Experiment gave me an intellect already surpassing that of most humans and it would continue to broaden with age, thus enabling to comprehend such high level texts. Also, there were one or two banners taking up the empty space coloured blue and silver to represent Scotland. Hey, I like Scotland, alright? On the floor, there was a soft, regular sized bed with a side table on which was a digital clock and situated against the opposite wall was a furnished desk complete with leather chair, pens, paper and flip calendar. Everything I needed, but only now and then used.

Pulling the window open, I climbed into the room and leaped onto the floor, barely avoiding my desk. Lack of light both outside and in draped the whole room in darkness. Good, that was just how I liked it. Feeling the night breeze flow inside the room and up my back and hump, I trekked over to my bed and hopped onto the edge of it, hanging my head low and holding my hands together. Silence and nothing else reached my ears, thanks to the room's walls being sound proof from the outside and in, thus making it a near sanctuary for anyone wanting to be alone.

A couple of minutes passed and a horrible sting arose on the left side of my face and I flapped my claws on top of it in a futile effort to sooth the pain. The slash on my face was still there and weeping painfully. On the floor near to me was a grey hand mirror which I often used to make funny faces at myself when I was a little younger and less mature. I picked it up to look at my reflection on the left side of my face to inspect the wounds. Surprisingly, the cut marks were not too long, but still deep enough for me to self-diagnose that they were going to leave prominent scars. There went that "handsome face" my mother boasted so much to her friends about.

How could he? How could my own father hit me like that? Fathers are supposed to love and take care of you, not physically assault you like mine just did. It was not fair. No matter how mad you get, and this is a belief I hold firm to this day, you should never hit your children. Yeah, you put them over your knee sometimes when they go too far, but you never hit them like they were your opponent in a boxing match. To me, it was just a sign of cowardice to hit a person who could not possibly fight back and yes, I counted back then due to my young age. But what made it all worse was that I knew deep down, no matter how much he lied to everyone and himself, my father _wanted _to do it. He wanted to hurt me, to see me in pain, because he hated me. He had probably been waiting all these years for an excuse to hit me and was now relishing in it, the miserable old bastard!

Something new began running down both sides of my face from my eyes and I certainly didn't need to touch it to know what it was. I hated it when I cried as a child; boys were not supposed to cry, only girls. But sometimes it got to a point where you had to swallow your pride, even if it was too big to swallow and let all that pent up emotion out.

_Bzzzt!_

The steel front door slowly slid open, letting the harsh light from the corridor trespass into the small room. I shrank at it, shutting my eyes tight and pulling by legs closer to me by the knees. A small figure was standing in the door way, but I didn't bother raising my head to see who it was. I already had a good idea anyway.

"Grendel?" My mother's soothing siren voice said in concern. I opened my moist right eye and twitched it over to look at her. "I heard you and your father yelling out on the porch. Are you okay?"

My mother was still a beautiful creature, her name Angel being well deserved, all despite having lost her figure after giving birth to three children. She was covered in a coat of pink fur that still maintained a pleasant sheen to it, over which she at the time wore a smooth lavender shirt that appeared to tighten around her stomach.

"I'm fine." was my reply and I shut my eyes again to withhold fresh tears and turned away. If there was one thing as a little boy I hated more than crying, it was other people _seeing_ me cry.

She was not fooled and stepped inside, closing the door behind her and plunging the room back into darkness. There was no point in trying to lie to Mother, as somehow could always tell whether or not I was speaking the truth. Well, that's mothers for you.

"You're crying." She whispered, creeping over to my bed and sitting down next to me. Mom outstretched her soft, cuddly arm and put it around my rough bristly shoulder over my hump and pulled me in close to her. "What did he say to you?"

"Nothing." I insisted, refusing to look at her and show my facial wounds. "It's all okay, Mom." I couldn't let my mother see the slash mark; she'd be furious and would most likely start another fight with Father.

Mom now frowned suspiciously and put her right set of claws under my chin. "No, it isn't. Now you tell me what happened." When she tried to turn my head around and I just snapped it back in place, she knew I was hiding something from her. "Hey…what's wrong with your face?" When I didn't answer her and kept the left side of my face hidden, she became angry. "Grendel, let me see what's wrong!"

Giving up, I sighed and allowed Mom to twist my head around so she could see my wounds, but kept both my eyes shut. I could not bear to see the shocked look on her face when I heard her let out a quiet gasp. She began lovingly and tentatively stroking the left side of my face, careful not to aggravate my cut marks.

"Did _he_ do that to you?"

I nodded, new tears leaking out the corners of my eyes. Before I could open my mouth to say anything, she pulled me into a hug, wrapping her arms so tight around my back she could broke it in half. No longer caring about my masculinity and feeling secure in her embrace, I broke down and cried into my mother, letting my onslaught of tears drench her lavender shirt and pink fur.

"Shhhh." my mother purred, gently rubbing the back of my head and behind my ears. "It's okay, it's okay, Mommy's here." It felt strange, clinging onto my mother's maw like how she used to carry me around like all other Experiment mothers, but right now all I craved for was her comfort.

"He hates me."

"What?"

"I said he HATES me!" I bawled, lifting my head from her chest, now snivelling like an infant. "Why else would he do that to me? Well…it doesn't matter anyway, because I hate him too!"

Mother took both sides of my face tight in her claws and told me sternly, "Don't ever say that. He's your father and he loves you, just like I do." She placed her index claw beneath my chin and tipped my head upwards so we looked each other in the eye. "But you're right; he shouldn't have hit you like that and I'm going to make that clear to him." I was going to say something in protest, for reasons as stated before, but her hard look silenced me.

Lowering my head and nodding, I muttered, "Okay…"

She tilted her head to further inspect my wounds and made a whimpering sound, meaning to ask me if I wanted her to help clean it up. I nodded and leaned into her, allowing my mother to release her massive wet tongue, with which she started to lick at the deep wounds on my face. Among my people, the act of licking was, if in the romantic context, the equivalent of kissing but in the medical context, it was a method used to clean wounds and widely believed to accelerate healing, much like most Earth mammals. Personally, I doubt the full effects claimed about licking, but it did somewhat help and felt comforting, mostly because it was by my mother, the one person I confided myself in.

When Mom had finished, she picked me up, hobbled across the bed and settled my head against the pillow on my unscathed right side, leaving my wet left side exposed to the air so to heal. Mother petted my head tenderly and told me to get some sleep, and left without another word.

As established earlier, the walls of the room were sound proof from both outside and inside. Yet even if I could not hear it, my imagination conjured up what it perceived to be a fairly accurate scene of what happened outside my room after my mother left it. There was my mother, screeching at my father that if he ever touched one of _her _children like that again, she would do to him even worse. There was father, indignantly defending himself by saying that I was _his_ son too and he had the right to punish me however he saw fit. My family would be siding with my mother, but most of them preferring to keep out of it, with Nani taking Medusa and Fafnir (though it is doubtful the latter would be there inside the house) outside whilst Mommy and Daddy had themselves "an adult conversation". Yes, that was most likely what happened outside, but I will never know and to be quite honest, don't really want to know.

* * *

For the next three or four days, I resided in my room, locking the doors and rarely leaving except for the night times when I went to catch myself some late night snacks – a bird or two. Many of the family came knocking at my door to either check up on me or ask if I wanted to come out, to which I politely sent them off, that is except for Nani, who came to sympathetically disinfect and bandage up the scratch marks, which I agreed was more safe than just having them licked. My Father even once came rapping at my door, to which, upon hearing it was him, I replied bluntly, "Go-away." He got the message and did not return again. When I did finally decide to leave my room, my silent and stoic demeanour gave everyone the idea that it was best to leave me alone for the time being, and thankfully they did just that. Fafnir was the only exception, hopping up and down and eyeing the bandaged side of my face to try and ask when he could not physically why the bandage was there. He stopped though when he was reprimanded to let me be, so it did not bug me as such.

That scratch my father gave me on the left side of my face did, as I had presumed, leave terrible scars that one would find most difficult to overlook at a first glance. Four jagged white lines running deep down in a diagonal direction. Naturally, it depressed me initially as they completely destroyed whatever good looks I had, but on the upside, whenever other Experiments asked me of their origins, it gave me the opportunity to weave many romanticised and heroic tales, the most common one being I received them in a one-man fight against four Experiments. Also, you'll be surprised to know how much scars made you look intimidating or even respect amongst your peers and how so many females were strongly attracted to them. So you could not say it was a _total _lose.

Yet still, what really took the biggest toll from that incident that night was the relationship between my father and I. Beforehand, there was a wall there, yes, but things were for the most part okay. Now that wall was ten times taller and complete with barbed wire. Father eventually apologized to me about it and I told it was "all cool", but it was clear to both us that it wasn't. The only thing my father had learned from that incident was to never hurt one of his children like that ever again, but with me, that lesson was learned too late as the damage had been done and the scars were evidence. To this day, I do wish my father and I had been truly able to make peace with each other, but it never happened and we kept drifting further and further apart until I could maintain that flicker of respect for him as the great Experiment 6-2-6 but little else. As for my relationship with my mother, that would always remain strong. We would always love each other; always keep in close contact and always be there to comfort one another, right to when my whole world came crushing down around me in flame. I love you, Mama, and I always will.

So, if I am to summarise my relationship with my parents in one easy enough sentence, I guessed it would be this: I honoured and respected my father as much a son could, but I only truly _loved_ my mother. That's what we're just gonna have to settle for.

* * *

**(A/N) So there you go, everybody. I think that chapter, for the most part, concludes our look at Grendel's childhood, because in the next chapter, we move ahead a few years to Grendel's adolescence/reaching young adult hood, due to the different aging cycles of Experiments to humans, although that itself is not too important. We will get to see more into Grendel's view on his peoples' situation and the political and social views he has developed that will fallow him into his coming rise to power. Until then, please do Read and Review.**

**P.S. Updates may take considerably longer as I will be returning to Sixth Form tomorrow and a regular day's workload is laborious enough. Just to let you.**


	5. Chapter V: Three Years Later

**(A/N) Here is Chapter V. Here, we skip forward a few years to when Grendel is reaching maturity and is beginning to plan his future out. More importantly, we find out more about how he sees the world around him. So it is quite an important chapter in that regard. Do read on.**

**Also, please do tell me how you hear Grendel's voice in your heads. I will reveal to you at the end of this chapter what my idea of his grown up voice is, but I just want to know your thoughts.**

* * *

**Chapter V**

**Three years later**

_Three years later…_

Amazing, isn't it how quickly and how much things can change? Not just in people, but everything around you. It really is important for us to appreciate things when they last before _poof,_ they're gone. In those years passed since I got those passed, I was now a young Experiment who was starting to reach his adulthood. Shocking, isn't it? But that is the way of us Experiments, or New Turogians, which was rapidly becoming the norm by now. Our childhoods aren't as long as humans and for that I envy them; they get to live in their happy little carefree worlds much longer, not having to face the realities of this harsh world for many, many more years.

By this time, I was starting to pack up whatever things I had for my upcoming moving out of the house. Well, yes, there comes a time for everything young bird to leave the nest and make its own way. As for this bird, I was heading off to Heorot. The Pelekai household did a good job in raising me, but in the end, a New Turogian had to be with his _own_ kind and I'm sure everyone understood that. Besides, it wasn't just me who was going to leave. Medusa was certainly talking about moving out so she could "find someone", seemingly stuck in that phase that a decent male could be found at any cheap dime store. However, at the time I was packing up, I was the only one to know that she indeed had found someone, having peeked out my bedroom window at night to spot her receiving bouquets of flowers and other trinkets from her admirer. Sikes. God, I wish I was making this up, but no, my sister really had fallen for a mangy pick-pocket. Okay, that may be a little too harsh; I still thought Sikes was a decent enough fellow, but he was _still_ a common thief. What could _he_ give her? How could _he_ take care of her? A heart of love was simply not enough in real life. But it was not my decision, it was hers and if she wanted to waste her life on him, it would have been her fault, not mine.

As for Fafnir, he was not going anywhere. Poor Faffy, in these past years he had taken a turn for the worst. Both his mind and body were degenerating by the month. At this point, he looked like a diseased fur bag of bones, like he was about to fall dead at a moment's notice. Even his laugh, in his youth loud and idiotically cheerful, was now raspy and distorted. It wasn't like this was unexpected though. Fafnir was weak from birth, even more so than Medusa and I, having to be hooked up to a life support machine with the fear of not surviving. Jumba said that it was a miracle he survived and expressed fears for his later life, but Mother and Father were just glad they could their precious baby boy in their arms. Now, it was coming back to haunt us and it worried us all how long Faffy was going to last like this. He wasn't.

As for everyone else in our Ohana, things were starting to change for them as well. Lilo was fifteen and taking a great interest in animals and environmentalism, having decided she wanted to become a veterinarian when she grew up. I know, who'd have thought it? Mother and Father, now that their children were growing up and becoming independent (two, at least), were starting to spend more time alone together. They did whisper a few times that were considering having another child, but no third sibling of mine came. Yet a new addition to the family was on the way as Nani and David announced earlier that year they were having their first child. Good on them, I said. As for Jumba and Pleakley, the former was getting on in years, working on his many EVIL experiments and the latter, much to my embarrassment, had hopped back onto the cross-dressing wagon. _He_ would _never_ change.

* * *

"Okay, well, this case is full." Pleakley, who was aiding me in packing, placed the last of my books into the brown suitcase on my bed along with my other junk. "Only things left are your bed, desk and exercise equipment. The first two are gonna be left here, but you're going to have to deal with your equipment some other way."

"Don't worry; you guys can sell it all off. I don't really need them anymore." I shrugged indifferently, leaning against my leather chair's armrest, admiring my thick black claws. Piled together in one corner of my room was an assortment of training equipment; dumbbells, a weight machine, the usual stuff. In the past couple of years, I had undergone a lot of physical training which, along with my high meat diet, had resulted in me getting quite the muscular and husky frame, impressing even the pig-headed Experiment 6-0-1, Kixx, to an extent. It was necessary for a male in our society to be strong in order to gain prestige and respect, that and it certainly helped win you a female, being able to protect and provide for them.

_Bzzzt!_

The door opened up and in walked, or rather limped on all fours Fafnir, slack jawed and with a face that made him look like he had undergone a lobotomy. He's twisted his head in one direction and several others and stumbled into the room with his curiosity of a five-year-old human child. This was the fourth time today he came intruding into room. Why, you ask? Well, since I and eventually Medusa were moving out, it left one room spare and Mother thought it best that Fafnir moved in so he would feel "safer". Hey, if they wanted him to have the room, fine by me as they were at least putting it to some use than just leaving it to gather dust and cobwebs.

"Fafnir, I'm not done packing yet. Can't you wait just another hour?" I complained, but not surprisingly, he paid no head and letting out a gush of his now strangled laughter, dashed onto my soft bed. He circled around the brown suitcase and took pleasure in feeling the soft smooth texture of the white sheets.

"You want me to toss him out again?" Pleakley sighed to me, jabbing his thumb over at my brother.

I shook my head and turned my attention away from them, rubbing my temples slowly. "No…leave him. It is gonna be his tonight anyway, so why bother? Let him enjoy himself." I gave my leather chair one last swivel before going over to the bed and snatching the brown suitcase off it, startling Fafnir somewhat. "Try not to make _too_ big a mess." With that, I spun around and left my now former bedroom with suitcase in claws, leaving Pleakley trying and failing to keep Fafnir from getting his slobber all over the bed.

* * *

The rest of the day was spent having one last waltz around the house, giving each and every room my own silent goodbye. Yes, it did make me feel somewhat sad; I had some good memories here, but we all saw this coming one day. Were you expecting me to stay here all my life like my parents and raise my children? Surely not as Nani and David were only making ends meet as it was and with a baby on the way, me and later Medusa leaving were our gifts to them. I was going to come back and visit once in a while to have dinner, maybe see the baby and definitely visit my dear mother. After all, it wasn't like I was leaving to a different country or planet.

"You know, you don't _have_ to leave." Nani told me as I sat on the counter near the sink, handing her plates for her to clean once breakfast was done.

"Yeah, I know. But I _want_ to." I sighed and put my face in both palms and rested my elbows on my knees. "Nani, I'm always gonna miss this place and I'll always be grateful to you for helping raise me, but I've gotta learn to be on my own."

"I get that. It's just funny though…" She mused, looking out the window, while at the same time cleaning out a glass tumbler. "When you three were born, I always thought you'd stick around here like Stitch always has. You'd cling onto your little bed out on the porch like a baby. Just never thought you'd leave, is all…"

All I could do was shrug at my shoulders. "Yeah…but things change. Hell, look at me…I've _really_ changed."

"Yeah…" Nani reached out her soft, warm and moist and scratched me behind my ear, making me purr, just like she used to when I was little. "You have."

* * *

Indeed, it looked like my final day before I departed that night was going to nice and quiet. That is…until something happened around half-past two in the afternoon, something that to this day, I still regard as one of the wackiest in my life.

I was leaning against the blue wooden bars of the porch, watching for any signs of change like when I was little. Everything was nice and quiet, until it was disturbed by a tumbling noise and a furious yell, making jump up in surprise and hit my head against the banister by accident. After rubbing it, I ran back inside the house, where the source of the commotion was coming from and alongside everyone else who had arrived at the scene saw a very…_odd_ sight.

"_**MEEGA NALA QUEESTA!"**_

"GET HIM OFFA ME!"

"STITCH! Knock it off, NOW!"

"Daddy, get off him! Please!"

Sikes was lying on the floor, pinned down by the throat by Father, who was the one yelling and was snarling like a vicious beast. Medusa and Mother were screaming like harpies and trying to pry them from each other. From what I was told, Sikes had climbed up the gutter pipe of the house and into the window to rendezvous in secret for an hour long session of tongue wrestling. However, things didn't go according to plan as Father had walked in on them and upon seeing Sikes binding his "baby girl" in his arms, kind of got the wrong idea. As to how they ended up downstairs, I could only presume my father tripped during the struggle whilst they were on the balcony.

After a few moments of watch my father try and snap my friend's neck, Mother beckoned me other to help pull them apart, which I obeyed with only a few chuckles getting in the way. Once that was done, Medusa ran up to her lover's side and Mother quite rightly socked Father across the face to calm him down. My Father actually managed to do so and allowed Sikes and Medusa to explain the situation to him without going berserk again. Medusa, who had lost quite a bit of weight and now had a large ring piercing on her left ear, went first and reluctantly explained the secret relationship she and Sikes had been having for the past year. All the flowers, gifts, make outs, she told him everything. Sikes spoke up a couple of times to confirm what she said to Father. He himself had not changed much in terms of physical appearance, with the exception of a scraggly turf of fur that had formed on the crown of his head and that his body was slightly ganglier. That mechanical arm of his looked quite rustic and certainly in need of an upgrade.

For an overprotective Father like ours, it was a lot for him to take in. All these years, he had always thought of Medusa as his little girl, his princess, and now it finally dawned upon him that she was no longer that little girl anymore. She had grown up and it was time for him to come to terms with it.

He was sitting down on the sofa as both of them continued to pour out their secret. Everyone else but Mother and I had left for them to solve the issue amongst themselves, and by God, I was relishing in seeing _her_ being the one answering to Father this time, not me.

"I see." Father finally said, resting his chin against his palm.

Medusa's lip was trembling and she was pulling at her claws. "I'm sorry, Daddy." Tears were now forming around her eyes. "I was just worried you'd be ashamed of me if I told you…" She then started bawling her eyes out, much to my revulsion and Father got up from the sofa to hug his precious daughter.

"Naga." He hushed her gently in his mother tongue, running his claws up and down through her fur. "I could never be ashamed of you. I'm happy you found someone who loves you." The whole thing made my stomach lurch. My father actually saw my sister as this perfectly innocent creature that had only "followed her heart" and found herself the man of her life. Blow me! Anyone with half a brain cell could see past her crocodile tears and see the promiscuous, carnal pig that hid beneath. It honestly wouldn't have surprised me if she had already slept with Sikes and almost every other first conceived generation male a dozen times.

What happened next really took the cake. Call it an inappropriate time, I sure as Hell did, but Sikes decided to reveal one other secret to Father.

"Mr Pelekai…I know we should have told you before about…us. You're her father and you had every right to know. We're both very sorry…" Now a shamble of a man, Sikes took a gulp and with Medusa confidently at his side, told him, "But I love her, Mr Pelekai and that's why we've talked and…with your permission, I wish to marry your daughter."

Yes, that happened. Sikes announced his and Medusa's engagement right then and there after Father learned about their relationship. Promptly, I spat the soda I was drinking unintentionally at my mother in shock. From behind the living room door came the sound of gasping, either of shock or joy. My father's face by itself, however, was priceless. Oh, and before we continue, yes, my people _can_ get married. We do not do so in the human way, but right now, that is not important and I will elaborate on it when the time comes. For now, you just need to know a male must ask the female's father's permission.

As for this particularly awkward and uncomfortable moment, what else could my father say? He wanted nothing more than for his daughter to be happy and from the looks of things, this was his biggest chance. Not that it was the thought of her marrying the left him dumbstruck, for he knew that one day it was going to happen, but it was just how quick it seemed to happen for him and the actual New Turogian male Medusa wanted to marry that made him very unsure. Like me as stated before, he did not hate Sikes, but he just did not believe he was good enough for her.

But amazingly, putting his daughter's happiness first and after thinking it over for a few moments, Father looked back at the two and told Sikes sternly, "If you promise me that you'll take care of her and treat her the way she deserves to be treated, then alright, you can marry her."

Sikes, Medusa and the whole house rejoiced at this glorious news. Jumba popped open the schnapps with David and all the girls were gathered together to discuss the wedding in that giddy, incessant manner in which females of all species do. I, meanwhile, sat in the corner stoically, drinking not schnapps but a tall bottle of robust _'Black Dragon'_ Cider, all the way from Wales, glancing around at everyone as I sipped it down. Inside, I was thinking to myself, _'What the hell just happened?'_ The whole event seemed to have just come out of nowhere and went by so quickly, it all seemed unreal. My sister and Sikes' relationship came out in the open and _Badda Bing,_ they decided they wanted to get hitched. Weird little world we live in, isn't it?

* * *

Luckily for me, Medusa and Sikes' engagement did not completely overshadow my departure from the Pelekai household. That night, as the sun was setting on the island, Sikes and I were leaving together to Heorot. He parted with fiancés, promising to see her tomorrow so preparations could get started for their wedding, after which they agreed Medusa would move out to live with him. Sikes left the house first, allowing me to bid my farewells to my Ohana. It makes me feel bad even now that I could only feel somewhat solemn in my goodbyes, not the general sadness and regret they were feeling at seeing me go. Mother, Fafnir, Medusa, Lilo, Jumba, Pleakley, Nani, David and their unborn child, I all gave them goodbyes as sincere as I could.

Father was the last to say goodbye and it was indeed the most awkward. Of course, I told him I loved him and would keep in touch, and he echoed pretty much the same thing. During that brief moment, I knew what he was staring at; the four white scars of the left side of my face that he had given me three years ago. His face was riddled with emotions. Sadness. Regret. Frustration. All too late for apologies now.

So out I went with Sikes, giving them one last wave goodbye before silently shutting the door behind me. I loved them all, but right now my people needed me. We crept away into the jungle, my suitcase in claws, heading towards what was now my new home. But just before it vanished from my view, I looked back at the house in which I grew up for the last time and waved, muttering, "Aloha."

* * *

So upon that emotional departure started my new live in Heorot, finally joining the 'Army', again as we called ourselves. The normally quick trip to Heorot this time felt like an eternity however, most likely because the reality of the situation was truly sinking in. I had left my Ohana behind and was painfully starting to regret it. You know, people say it SO much more easy discussing leaving home than actually doing it and trust me, those people _know_ what they are talking about. But the closer we got there, the more my confidence grew back and shedding a tear or two, I shook off any idea of returning to the house. This was the right decision, clear and simple, not just for my independence, but for my soon to be grateful people.

A couple of years prior to this, my interest in our political and social wellbeing had steadily grown. I guess it all really stemmed from my earlier reading and fascination of our abilities, in which I had ready hundreds of works from Karl Marx to Friedrich Nietzsche and studied the archives of Experiments from Jumba's laboratory, the latter with which I got a more detailed understanding of the biology and history of my species. Not only that, but my intellect had spread out to many other fields, especially history, sciences and philosophy. Was it presumptuous for me to think of myself as the most intelligent of my species? Maybe, but you could not deny I was up there with the top ten. Hell, if you coupled that with my fine physical strength and stature, any dim-witted fool could see me as a perfect leader for the emerging New Turogian society. And I would lying if I said the prospect of being the individual to lead the New Turogians from out of the darkness and towards a great and glorious future, hence immortalizing myself as an iconic figure in my people's history, was not mouth-watering.

You wouldn't have been to say that such ambitions of leadership were a bit of a stretch, and I would have been in reluctant agreement with you…a few years before this. At the time of my moving into Heorot things had seriously changed, so much so that my dream of becoming a leader genuinely within my grasp. Best I elaborate on that.

Heorot and the New Turogian 'Army' had fallen upon evil days. The social divide between the omnivores and carnivores (who mostly consisted of the earlier Experiments and the later Experiments respectfully) had only grown more and more, near enough segregated them into two completely separate groups, an "us and them" situation. The problem intensified to a point where some of the carnivores were starting to desert Heorot and going off to make it out on their own, many of those carnivores being from the more powerful 500 to 600 series of Experiments. Progress was near enough at a complete standstill like a train travelling across the countryside. I guess you had the government at the time to blame for that problem, by which I meant _our _government, a term which I still use pretty loosely.

The way things were run before my ascension to power was pretty straightforward. All power was centralised in Heorot, in practice our capital on the island, manifested in the form of a democratically elected council made up of weaklings with the chief executive inappropriately dubbed as the "President", the de jure most powerful New Turogian of us all. It was a loose and shambolic government which passed all new laws through a majority of all New Turogians who attended the informal meetings, which was never normally more than a couple hundred. Not only that, but as our society and electorate became divided, it made debating more and more long and violent, with little getting done, if at all.

Now _my_ view of an effective government was much more different. What was needed for this emerging civilisation was a single strong, autocratic leader, with complete over his land and people. A leader who could step up to the plate and resolve the problems his nation faced through either peace or force then and there, not squabbling about the issue in debates like all human politicians. A leader who would map out his people's future carefully to the closest detail, not leave them in a state of limbo. Yes, to you ultra-liberal and democratic humans, the mere thought of this must make you shiver with fear, but how about we look at it from the New Turogian point-of-view? We had barely just started living together as a society with little direction for our future, the council merely sorting out petty day-to-day problems and making almost no real improvements to our lives. The council simply could not deal with the social problems we faced either and just glanced over it, acting as if every little thing was fine when they well knew it wasn't. It was in fact mostly they who were fanning the flames of the problems by passing "legislation" that favoured omnivorism and limited the kills and pounds of flesh that Experiments could gather to feed them and their children. No wonder a lot of the carnivores were deserting; their basic rights were being violated. A _strong_ leader would fight to the bitter end to keep his people united and strong. Surely you can agree that this was simply not a leadership best fitted to us at these crucial times? Do not think of me as this vehement opponent of democracy. As an ideal, it was alright, but for us it simply wasn't working.

This was where I came in. Out of all the New Turogians in Heorot and the island, I was the most vocally critical of the council and almost every decision it made, over the last year that is. My role became almost that of a political commentator, you know, like one of those loud mouth guys on the radio? I was slowly but surely gaining support, loyal or fair-weather from New Turogians, some of them omnivores but mostly carnivores. Of course, the council did their best to slander me as – and I'm quoting them here – "a loud-mouthed fascist malcontent", especially after I began holding secret meetings to spread my far-right ideas to other New Turogians, the ones of the first conceived generation included. Even a few of my handwritten and photocopied pamphlets and other literature were circulated around the Army with the hopes of spreading my gospel through word. I felt almost like Hitler in those meetings, preaching loudly to the listening dullards around like he did in the Beer Halls of Munich, by which I mean they listened to me so blindly that I could tell them that black is white and accept it as truth, though they would need it hammered in again at the next meeting. Sometimes I seriously doubt Jumba doubt Jumba created some of these creatures.

"Okay, so Grendel, let's go meet up with my parents and maybe you can find yourself a spot to set up your stuff." Sikes told me as we slithered into the boundaries and passed the many New Turogians who were settling down for the night, either picking away at the bone remains of their meals or dozing off to sleep on the hard cold patches of ground they claimed as theirs with their families. "Though I bet they're going to be a little…upset with me for being this late home."

A thought then came to me for the first time. "Hey…do they even know you are, or were at least planning to get betrothed to my sister?"

"Hey, don't worry about that. They've known all along about me and Medusa." Sikes assured me with a grin. "Your mom called up mine to let her know about our engagement." He then frowned, raising an eyebrow. "Strange…she didn't tell me what she said."

"Uh…huh."

We soon found Sikes' family's spot, there same place just prior to our confrontation with Myrtle three years ago. Sitting down there on the carpet and listening to aged music from their radio were Bonnie and Clyde, Sikes' parents. Clyde was sitting up straight, stripping the cornel chick from the bone from the large KFC bucket he had swiped earlier that day. Bonnie was resting on the carpet on her side as if she was trying to sleep.

Sikes scratched at the fur on his chest and addressed them stammering, "H-h-hey, Ma! Pa! How you guys doing?"

Clyde rolled his eyes over at us and half-smiled. "Heeey, Sikes. Good to hear about you and Stitch's kid, son. Pretty good job you did there." He said in that Brooklyn accent of his and licked the grease from his claws.

Not making a sound, Bonnie stirred and got up the carpet, facing away from us. She was wearing a stolen dark brown coat with many pockets and like her husband and most carnivores she had developed a stronger and huskier build from eating so much meat. Not only that, but there was a round bulge sticking out from her stomach. She grunted and started stretching her back, making cracking sounds before then cracking her neck a few times. The sound of it made me cringe.

Bonnie continued to face the other way for a moment, placing her hands on her now wide hips. She took out a cigarette and zippo lighter and lit the former with the latter and took a slow draught from it. "Sikes, honey…" Bonnie blew out a cloud of smoke, clutching the cigarette tight between her sharp claws. She was speaking in a voice somewhat different from the one from years before, her Alabama accent sounding more mature and slightly gravelly. "Do you enjoy pissing me off?"

"N-no…I just-"

"Ha-bub-bub-bub!" Bonnie spun around and stomped across the carpet to her only son and I took a few precautionary steps back. Grabbing her son by the turf of fur on his head and yanking him downward so he was forced to look up at her, she snarled angrily, "Did I ever give you my permission to get engaged to Stitch's little brat?"

"Well, the last time I checked, I only had to ask her Dad's permission. And I thought you liked Medusa, so-"

_Pow!_ Bonnie raised her cigarette-holding fist and smashed it down against Sikes' head. "Don't you gimme any of that backtalk, young man!" She then yanked him up so they met eye-to-eye. "You know I don't mind you being with whatever girl you want. But…" Her grip tightened and she looked as if she was about to shove the cigarette into his eye. "Guess what? You're _my_ son, and as long as you're my son, you don't even get to _masturbate_ without my permission first! Do you understand me?"

Reduced to that of a small, vulnerable child, Sikes nodded and his mother loosened his grip on him, taking another smoke in the process. He hesitantly asked in a hushed voice, "So do I get to marry Medusa or what?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, sure, whatever." Bonnie shrugged indifferently and walked off, still smoking, leaving me and the hurt Sikes there baffled. This was a mother who really liked to keep a tight grip on her children's lives. Suddenly, she bent over and cringed in pain, clutching onto her stomach. "Ugggh! Goddamn it, this thing better come outta me soon, before I rip it out with my bare claws!"

For a second, I forgot what Bonnie was talking about, until it struck me as if it was something a five-year-old human should know. She was currently pregnant with her and Clyde's second child, a girl and was expected it to be born very soon.

I rubbed my chin and gave my two cents to her, "You know, it's not healthy for the baby if you smoke, especially before it's born, Bonnie."

"Hey, I've had to pick up with months of morning sickness, kicking and sleepless nights! My body's been fucked up once already, now the second time's gonna make it worse." She snapped back at me viciously, getting back onto the carpet and sitting down. "I'll smoke as much as I damn well want!"

Idiotic female. She did not deserve children, especially as she had absolutely no regard for their safety and abused them like a football player's wife. The primary role of a female New Turogian, as by tradition, was to marry a strong male and with him bear strong, healthy children and bring them up like a good mother should, and Bonnie was by no means a good archetype. That child she was soon going to give birth to will be born frail and weak and not be able to properly take care of itself, further adding to the problems facing our society. Weak offspring, making up a lot of the conceived New Turogians, have to be taken extra care of and fed more than the others, only adding to the already sky-rocketing population. Why else would the council have been making such regulation on how much meat we could have? Too many of us were cropping up and so they decided to split up the shares so the weaklings could carry on their mediocre existences. Pitiful, really. I maintain one phrase in regards to this issue and that is "survival of the fittest."

Bonnie blew a ring of smoke out the corner of her mouth and cocked her head at me. "And what the Hell are you doin' here, anyway? Shouldn't you be back home by now?"

"Grendel has moved out of his home and is gonna now live in Heorot." Sikes explained for me, clapping his hands together. "You know, being all independent?"

Dropping the cigarette to the ground and putting it out by stomping on it, the elder female smirked at me, flashing her teeth which had been yellowed by years of smoking, "Oh…so you're finally coming outta your comfy hidey-hole and bringing your Bullshit HQ here with you? Ha! That's a change."

"Laugh all you want, Bonnie." I turned my head the other way, my dignity unfazed by her remarks. "Just you watch. You're looking at the face of our people's future."

This only made Bonnie and to an extent Clyde, the latter of whom was dozing off, to laugh more haughtily. "Future? Hahahahahaha!" Her face then hardened. "Here's a little newsflash for ya: you ain't got no future, Grendel! You're a shit spewing demagogue and everyone knows it."

Now she had worked at my last nerve. I approached her angrily, about to do something I might regret when Sikes stood in between us, holding his claws up to keep us apart and gave me a semi-warning look. No matter how many times his mother beat the living crap out of him, he would always side with her in an argument. I backed off and growled, taking my suitcase and storming off in the other direction.

"Fine. I'm just gonna go and…set things up." I muttered as I trekked off, my back turned to them. I could hear Bonnie and Clyde's obnoxious laughter behind me, making my fur stand up on end. Those two were nothing but a couple of freakin' degenerates, what could they possibly know?

* * *

Soon enough, I found myself a nice spot to set up my things; a small open space next to one of the rock mound nearby the entrance of Heorot. For the time being, it would do for a home. But in the not too distant future, I would find myself living in much better living conditions.

You know, as much as I hate to admit it, there was some truth in what Bonnie had said to me. With things the way they were, the future for me looked bleak. My political doctrine was taken in by the masses, but most of my followers were carnivores and the more they left in significant numbers, the more my support shrunk, as did my hopes of future leadership. I had many omnivores on my side of course, but the problem was that they were not as dedicated or anchored to my cause. If I yelled loud enough or convincingly enough, they would stand by me, but if I ever tried rallying them behind me for my inevitable forceful seizure to power, they would back down in a millisecond. They were too weak and cowardly to even consider partaking in such a venture, and perhaps, as according to Bonnie, some of them only saw me as a demagogue, not a real leader. Or maybe for as much they were willing to criticize the government; they were still content with it enough so that when push came to shove, they'd stand behind it instead of me. George Orwell himself said to disregard his character Winston Smith's line in his novel 1984, "If there is hope it lies in the Proles" and I agree with him, though with different reasons. The only way for the kind of revolution I was talking about to occur, it was the strong who had to carry it out. And who were these strong ones? The powerful New Turogians originating from the later Experiment series – carnivores! For though their loyalties to me may have been a bit shifty as well, they had something I needed most of all and that was _force!_

Oh, and for those of you wondering what the hell I'm talking about by a revolution, well, obviously yes, there was going to a revolution soon in Heorot. Since I disagreed with the system, I was not going to try and work my way into and lead it, now was I? It would compromise with my principles. The only way I was ever going to get into power was by force like the many older rulers of Europe. They did not sit down and talk; they pulled up their sleeves and took action like men!

It was clear that I had to be Napoleon the conqueror and the carnivores had to be my troops as it was the only way to help my species. A lot of my kind would undoubtedly curse me for it, but if it was, and I believe still to this day, the only way to fix our society, then then let them curse me with all their might! In the long run, what I did was for the greater good of us all. The end had to justify the means, it just had to.

Well, there you go, that was my obstacle. To achieve power, I had to fully get the carnivores behind me and lead them in the charge. But how could I convince them to join me, knowing that even if they were more loyal to me than omnivores, would it be great enough for them to both join my campaign and continue supporting my new government while it established itself? The answer was simple really, although as I sat there on my spot, I didn't yet know it.

But for that moment, I was tired and in need of some well-deserved rest. So I unrolled a carpet from my suitcase, a fine red and blue one, and got down on my back against it. For the first time of my young life, I went to sleep in Heorot, the last image in my mind before slumber before the pitch black skies and hundreds of thousands of stars decorating it. It truly was a beautiful sight.

* * *

**(A/N) So there you go, I hope you enjoyed it. As for the Sikes/Medusa thing, yeah, that wasn't originally going to play as big a part as it has, but I guess it was an organic thing. Though I did particularly enjoy outlining Grendel's viewpoints.**

**The next chapter features Grendel setting out his plans, getting ready for his rise to power. But also, it is also going to be a very sad chapter as well, as you will all see. Please do read and review!**

**P.S. Now we're at the end of the chapter, the idea for Grendel's voice is well…kind of a ****Crispin Glover**** kind of voice. You know what I mean?**


	6. Chapter VI: Meticulous Planning

**(A/N) Here is Chapter VI. Sorry for taking so long, I had a lot of work to do for Sixth Form and as you know, school has to come first. Now just to let you know, A LOT of stuff happens in this chapter, and I mean A LOT. It's where the story really starts moving along. Enjoy.**

**

* * *

**

**Chapter VI**

**Meticulous Planning**

Now that I was living in Heorot permanently, I wasted no time in getting back to my work preaching to the masses, starting with a meeting and speech the very next morning. Did you think I was going to kill the time lying about, getting used to my new living arrangements? Of course not; I spent most of my time here already before moving in and besides, a true leader does not need something as trivial as a few days' rest.

My moving in was met with polarized opinions by the citizens of Heorot, with my supporters and sympathizers welcoming me and wishing me the best in my goals and the council and their few petty supporters being quick to denounce me for the umpteenth time as a demagogue and fear monger. Surprise, surprise. Their pathetic attempts at slander and mudslinging would not deter me.

So next morning, I got up nice and early and dressed myself up in a tight-fitting black coat buttoned up over my fur and wearing a sash of blue and white over it, and if you don't know why I chose those colours by now, then quite frankly you can suck it. I had grown accustomed to wearing more and more articles of clothing as the years went on with the rest of my kind. At first, they are uncomfortable for us New Turogians but we get used to them very quickly.

My meeting was held at the edge of Heorot and the jungle at around 8:30 am and was well received by a good few dozen New Turogians. Many of the attendees were wearing black shirts or jackets and/or blue and white sashes themselves. These three colours were quickly becoming my movement's official colours. Playing softly in the background the whole time via phonograph was the _Königgrätzer__ Marsch, _the famous German military march composed by Johann Gottfried Piefke after the Battle of Königgrätz, 1866, the decisive battle of the Austro-Prussian War. It was and still is my personal favourite march, what with its sheer power and the sense of military victory that surrounded it.

If memory serves correctly, the meeting went on for a good half hour with a handful more people joining in during its proceedings, and it consisted mostly of my own prewritten speech in my people's mother tongue of Tantalog, going on about the usual stuff like how we needed to strong leadership; how we were to boycott council meetings and how "democracy" had failed us. I was followed afterwards by brief speeches from those who wished to speak and these included New Turogians like Thresher, Experiment 5-4-4 and Spooky, Experiment 3-0-0, some of my most loyal followers.

By the time the meeting was over and our throats were sore from shouting, we all dispersed back into Heorot or the rest of the island, getting back to our daily lives. I was the first to leave as I always did to avoid being asked for a few dozen autographs, strolling through the forests to unwind. Giving long and forceful speeches really got me worked up and breathing in and out the warm tropical air was therapeutic in its own right.

You know, by the time I had moved into Heorot, I had held nearly a hundred meetings and even more excessively long speeches and the effects of their strain were showing. My throat got sore, I was prone to migraines and I actually had to have Jumba take a look at my twitching upper lip because the damn thing was getting out of control. How in the world _did_ Vladimir Lenin and Emmeline Pankhurst do it? But it was worth it. Standing there on stage, claws on hips, chin thrusted forward and legs anchored in a straight manner on the inferior wood as if I were a statue that had been bolted down, booming my valuable doctrine to them without the aid of a microphone. They looked up at me with the same admiration the peasants of Imperial Russia would have to their Tsar or the Japanese to their Emperor – a God. Most important of all, they were absorbing my thoughts like sponges to water. _Me good, Council bad. _That was the very minimum they had to know and as long as they took that in, works for me.

"Grendel?"

My head spun around to see someone coming up behind me. At first my ears sprung up and I bared my teeth in defence, but stopped when I identified the person there. A female New Turogian was standing there, a blue and white sash worn loosely around her dainty frame. I smirked upon recognizing her.

She was a short, feminine New Turogian with a coat of smooth turquoise and cream fur. Her physical structure was a decent blend of her father and mother, with a fork pitch shaped head on top of which were three dark blue curled up horns. Protruding from her backside and swaying in mid-air was a long turquoise tail that curled up at the end and decorated in dark blue stripes. This prime cut of my species was the daughter of Yaarp, Experiment 6-1-3 and Belle, Experiment 2-4-8, named strange enough, Eva.

"Uh…" Eva held out something to me she was holding in her claws. "You dropped this." It was a small black notebook. I took it from her and recognized it as my personal planner. "I found back on the stage after you left."

I opened it up and spun through some of the pages, getting only a brief glance at the dates and my neat handwriting. "Oh…thanks, Eva, I really need this. But the thing is I didn't even..." I looked back up and saw the wide mouth she had inherited from her mother now stretched out as far as it could into an excited toothy smile, and she was pulling at her claws restlessly. "Um, you okay?"

"That was an awesome speech you made back there, Grendel!" She said with such giddiness you'd think she was about to go up like a firework on the 4th July.

I grinned and inspected my thick black claws. "Well, I don't like to brag or nothin'…"

"Where're you going?" Eva blurted out suddenly, raising her head to see over me in the direction I was formerly facing.

"Oh, uh…I dunno, down to the beach or something."

Within a flash, she was at my side, claws held together so tightly they may have cut into her palms. "You think I could come, too?" She was so close to me now my chin was resting on her head. I frowned, knowing full well what this little minx was doing.

Pushing her back with the book, I told her sternly, tapping my index claw on the cover, "You know something, Eva? I think that _you_ must think I'm a complete idiot." She was going to say something, but I continued, tucking the book back into my jacket, "Because you see, I never bring my planner with me to speeches, so I'm guessing you stole this and only gave it back to me so to get my attention." I cocked my head and folded my arms, giving her a hard look. "Isn't that right?"

Eva looked shocked at that and stuttered, "Wha-, that's crazy! I was only trying to-" She stopped in midsentence at seeing my look and withered, her once excited look now replaced by intimidation and said sadly, "Yes."

I sighed and rubbed my sinuses irritably. "Look, Eva, you know out of everyone, I value your support the most, but I've told you the same thing at least fifty times before." I leaned forward and emphasised each word, "Not-interested-period!"

"B-but…but…"

Without another glance, I spun around hurried away from her in my intended direction, telling her firmly, "I'll see you around." Before I rounded a particularly old pine tree and deeper into the jungle, I thought I heard Eva crying. Maybe it was just my imagination…though most likely not.

Ever since we were little, her being about only a year younger than I, Eva always had a crush on me. No one thought anything of it at first, but by the time I was haunting down and eating boars with my brother and sister, it was clear she had a serious thing for me. She must have seen me as a strong and attractive male who would look after her, whilst I just saw her with vague curiosity about the background of her name. I mean, with 'Grendel' or 'Sikes' there is some rhyme or reason, but with 'Eva', I don't see the connection. You see? That's just how uninterested I was in her. When for the first time she suggested "hanging out" with her, I, being an unaffectionate male youth and having been brought up in a dominantly patriarchal society, rudely answered, "No!" and slammed the door right in her face.

Now to her credit, Eva was by every definition of the word, a beautiful creature. I had more than my fair share of fantasies of sleeping with her, but other than that, there was absolutely _nothing _else I could see in her as a potential wife. She was, to put it nicely, an unintelligent bore. Listening to static on the television was more riveting than her mindless prattle. Don't get me wrong, I'm not the kind of twat who "loves women for their souls", without regret I admit I value looks first, but a female has got to have at least some depth about her, a faint spark of some intelligence maybe. Eva was as bland as wheat toast.

However, at the time this takes place, whether there was a female who was interesting or not was irrelevant. I was definitely planning on marrying and fathering many strong children, but I was presently far too engrossed in my work to think about finding myself a partner, which would only serve as a distraction. Yes, it got lonely, but luckily for me I was always popular among females and my entry into politics was only increasing my "fan base", so it surely wouldn't take too long to find a girl to rest on my arm. It was a sacrifice, but a temporary one I was willing to make.

Still, even if I couldn't find anyone among my "fan base" when the time came then maybe, just maybe, I could always turn to Eva as a last resort. After all, the stupid female was desperate enough, no matter how many times I cruelly spurned her; she would keep coming crawling back – like a dog.

* * *

Turogianism or New Turogianism is, as you guessed it, the uniform religion of my species. It is a very old, but universal religion originating from the planet Turo that is practiced by trillions upon trillions of life forms throughout the galaxy. It had a hierarchical system uncannily similar to that of Roman Catholicism here on Earth, a key difference being that in Turogianism there had to be hundreds of gods as opposed to one. Amongst my people, it was at this time only starting to spread but by the time my rule was well underway, the religion became key to my people's culture and identity, you know, like Judaism to the Israelis. As for my own religious adherence, I suppose you could call me a Turogianist by tradition and culture, though

The reason I am telling you all this is because it is through this religion how my people get married. We did not just mate like wild animals, for it was considered uncivilised! And as it was a recognized religion by the Galactic Federation, we were also married in the eyes of the intergalactic law. It was how my mother and father got married and you guessed it, how my sister and Sikes got married.

Medusa and Sikes were wed about two weeks after my departure from the Pelekai household. It was not exactly a complicated ceremony by itself and as us New Turogians did not at the time possess any real material wealth; it wasn't like it was going to be like one of those weddings you saw in movies or television programmes. To put it simply, with us New Turogians, the wedding was an informal ceremony held in Heorot where the couple (Salina dressed in a turquoise dress and Sikes wearing a shaggy grey suit jacket) were wed surrounded by family and friends, somewhat like a human Christian one. The one who specifically married my sister and now brother-in-law was Shoe, Experiment 1-1-3, whose interest and later devotion to Turogianism led him to study and become an official Turogianist priest, the only on this planet still to this day.

It did not take long. Shoe, dressed in an indigo and silver trimmed robe and wearing a few golden necklaces, stood before them and read aloud the rituals and proceedings in Tantalog. Finally, he got to the conclusion of the ceremony where the couple were to lick each other where the union between the two was made official, and Medusa and Sikes complied enthusiastically. There you had it – the two were officially husband and wife, in the eyes of our Gods and the Galactic Federation.

During the reception of sorts that followed, the newlyweds and their guests sat down to binge on a free buffet of freshly caught and cooked food, meat especially. With that in mind, it would not be a longshot to guess almost every New Turogian on the island was there, even the deserting carnivores. Not only were New Turogians present at the reception, but also the rest of my non-Turogian Ohana; Lilo, Nani, Jumba, Pleakley and David. For most of them, this was their first time in Heorot and it showed by the frightened look on Nani and Pleakley's faces.

I was sitting down along the line of diners, who were stuffing their faces with meat, chewing on a nice juicy chunk of mutton myself. Fafnir was sitting next to my left, feebly gnawing at the end of a clean bone. Whether it was because he had already stuffed himself or his appetite with dying away with his body, my brother did not look good to look at it. His eyes were half-closed and glazed, like he was about to fall asleep and he found it difficult to sit up straight. Half the time, I was busy shoving him with my elbow to bring him back down to earth.

Next, the phonographs were turned up and all the couples began dancing, whilst alcohol was distributed amongst the crowds. Champagne, wine, whisky, beer of all kinds had been brought to this occasion. Now just to warn you, you hear the Australian Aborigines were menaces when it came to alcohol, well no, we New Turogians are far worse, that is, when we have too much. At a wedding, that sure didn't take long and soon punch-ups were springing up between guests. Someone had either grabbed another person's wife's backside or looked at their sister the wrong way. Hey, it was better behaviour than what Jumba described at my parent's wedding.

At day's end, the guests dispersed, the majority of them being at least half drunk. My parents bid their precious daughter and their new son-in-law farewell, as well as his parents, who were more hurried as they were leaving that very night. Bonnie and Clyde, now as fed up with the government as most were, both decided to emigrate from Heorot and into the wilderness, only waiting until their son's marriage was done before they left. Some parents they were, ditching their son and their daughter-in-law just after they got married, not staying behind for a little longer to help support them. Then again, it's Bonnie and Clyde we're talking about here, what did you honestly expect? At the very least, they were leaving their spot to them, so that was _something._

When everybody was at last gone and the moon was hanging overhead in the star-studded sky, I was the only one left to pick away at the remains of the meat feast. I was ripping away at a slice of pig flesh when I saw Medusa and Sikes, arm in arm, walking off into the night. He wasn't good enough for her, I know I've said it enough times before, but I don't care. Unfortunately for Medusa, she could not see it. A beautiful young creature like that falling for such a witless crook was enough to make your blood boil. She deserved better, _much_ better. For fuck's sake, if she wasn't my sister, then who knows, maybe I...maybe I would make a good candidate.

I mean, look at her. Medusa was beautiful, physically fit now in her approaching adult years and in great contrast to her childhood, more intelligent. And now look at me; muscular, extremely intelligent and the most good-looking out of all the males. Yeah, if there was no biological relationship between us, then perhaps…yeah.

Also, for those of you who care, it was that very night that Fafnir began coughing up blood...

* * *

The answer to my question about rallying the carnivores was the one thing that kept me up the next two weeks following my arrival in Heorot. It was like an itch deep within my skull, unable for me to scratch it. I felt almost as if the answer to the problem was staring at me straight in the face and I, for all my intellect, was unable to see it.

But at last, the answer came to me in my sleep, a few nights after my sister's wedding, in the form of a dream of sorts, an accumulation of the ideas that had been running through my head. "Eureka!" was all I could say upon waking up. Sweat was running down my face and my heart rate running a mile a minute, for the answer had now come and slapped me right across the face. By George, I had it!

How did humans throughout the centuries get into power? Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, or even the "good guys" like the United States Presidents? Many of these household names rose to power in times of crisis and to the extreme problems their people faced, they offered extreme answers. Hitler blamed all of the Weimar Republic's problems of the communists, the trade unions and the Jews, whilst claiming that they were a superior Aryan race and promising he would destroy these "enemies" if they stuck with him. Meanwhile, a few decades later in the USA, their leaders played on people's fears about communism and the "enemy"; the Soviet Union and began a witch-hunt against anyone they feared was "red". It was straightforward for me; give the masses an embodiment of the root cause of their problems and then promise them near enough anything they want in exchange for their undying allegiance to me. The only question was what the carnivores would want? Well, heh, that's a no-brainer…

I went to the carnivores the following night, after getting all the details sorted out and attending to whatever business I had that day. I kept myself dressed all day in my dapper black coat and blue and white coloured sash, and flattened out my fur and corrected my posture several times to look more professional. This was going to be a crucial moment and so my appearance had to be flawless.

Of course, the fled carnivores did not live in a structured order like the omnivores and few carnivores of Heorot. In the jungles, it was every Trog for himself, so it was indeed an issue as to how I was to gather them in one place to speak to them. Well, from what I observed from the shadows was that the unofficial place they gathered to eat their kills was a secluded part of the island's beaches that was almost always completely deserted. The long stretch of sand was completely barren save for a broken pale and a few ghosts of footprints. There was a rumour flying around about this place about a series of shark attacks that left several humans dead, most of them young children. The only thing about this that upset the carnivores was that they didn't get to the little brats first. Anyway, the shark was never caught and this area of the beach had been abandoned ever since, with the exception of my meat-loving friends, because after all, what did _they_ have to fear from a mere earth shark?

So it was here that I found them, going mad over hunks of flesh and snapping and slashing at each other viciously. I was not put off by this sight as I had seen it before and wasted no time in gathering their attention by letting out a roar that would have sent a lion off pissing himself. All eyes were on me at that point and due to my popularity with them, the carnivores were more than welcoming upon seeing me, some of them wondering if I had decided to come and live as an outsider of Heorot as well. Immediately, put down that notion and climbing upon a large rock that ascended me above them, I began addressing them properly.

Now I cannot go into the exact details of what happened during the following speech I gave, the most important one of my life. Yes, I remember every word of it as clear as a bell, but during it, there was the expected pause for applause and occasional rabble-rouser who tried to hijack the speech or interrupt me (mostly in objection), but thankfully silenced forcefully by the rest. What I present to you now is the raw context of my speech.

"Brothers, you all know me and have already heard many of the things I have to say on our society, so all this is nothing new to you. But last night I had a dream; a dream which I shall come to later. I have something else to say first. I have not lived as long as some of you here tonight, but in my few years of live I have used a lot of it for thought as I sit alone in my study reading books, and I think I may say that I understand the nature of life on this planet as well as any New Turogian now living. It is about this that I wish to speak to you."

"Now, brothers, what is the nature of this life we New Turogians are currently living? Let us be honest with ourselves for once: our lives are harsh, laborious, and unfulfilling. We are born, we are raised on meat, we learn to feed off the fat of the land, bear more children and that's it. There is NO progress. Our species in trapped in a permanent state of limbo. It is if we are mere animals, which we are most certainly not. New Turogians are among the most intelligent sentient beings in the universe and yet here we are, dwelling the jungles of a primitive planet. Not only that, but we have divided into technically two groups; the first of omnivores and infidels sitting comfortably Heorot and you, the brave and strong carnivores who have been made to leave their home because of your diets, completely destroying whatever progress we have so far made. No New Turogian in the galaxy knows the meaning of happiness or leisure after he has become aware of his surroundings. The life of a New Turogian is hardship and destitution: that is the plain truth."

But is this simply part of the order of nature? Is it because our species is incapable of forming a fully functioning society? Is it that we simply cannot progress because we're inferior to the majority of the species in the universe? No, brothers, a thousand times no! As I have already told you, we are intelligent beings. We are quick, strong, resourceful, far more so than the many backwater civilisations out there. Why then do we continue in this miserable condition? Because we currently under the incompetent grip of the infidels who are society has been enticed in for the last several years. There, unfortunately my brothers, is the answer to all our problems – ourselves. In fact, not ourselves as such, but the _weak!_ The defective group within our species that is weaker mentally, physically and in terms of their powers. These infidels are the only real enemy we have and they are the ones currently in charge! Simply remove them from the helm, and the root cause of societal divisions and lack of progress is abolished for ever.

"The infidels, many of them omnivores are the only ones that are holding us superior New Turogians, most of us carnivores, back. They cannot ran as fast as us; they are far less intelligent than us and the main cause for being omnivores is that many of them, their equally inferior offspring included are unable to keep up to speed with us in catching their dinner. What is even more ridiculous is that as our population grows and the more weaklings than superiors are born, shares of meat are divided and the former are "required" to be given more due to their weakness in hopes it will improve their build, and that itself has proven futile. It is because of them that we carnivores, we superiors cannot gather enough food for ourselves and our children!

Now let's look at ourselves, eh? We are the supermen! The alpha to their omega! Everything the infidels cannot do, we most certainly can do and more! In the jungle, the lion is the king, and the same applies to us. We are the lions! Should it then not be we, like in all races and societies, who take the lead and make all the decisions? Of course! But it seems that many of us have not yet realised that and why? Because…the council of infidels _knows_ that once we realize this true structure, we will rise up against them. That is the ulterior motive for their anti-carnivore laws, brothers, to keep us down and make us feel to be the inferior ones. And it has been working! Many of us have abandoned Heorot and thus enabled the council to keep them in power! _Exactly_ what they want!"

"Is it not crystal clear, then, brothers, that all the evils of this life of ours spring from the corrupt, unlawful leadership of the infidels? Only remove them from power, and the rightful order shall be instated. Almost overnight WE could become the prosperous and mighty race we were destined by the GODS themselves to be! And even more important, the problem of meat shall be resolved. That's right, brothers, **we can have all the meat we want! **What then must we do? Why, work night and day, body and soul, for the overthrow of the council dictating Heorot, as I have told you so many times before! That is what I put forward to you, brothers: Insurrection! Enough talk, enough grumbling under our breath, let's roll up our sleeves and take action! That is the dream that came to the other night: a utopia where the council is gone and we, the strong carnivores and headed by a single Turogian reign over the land of Heorot, and the infidels grovel at our feet like they should!

I am sure you wonder when this glorious revolution will come. A week or in a hundred years? No, justice can be done within one-single-_NIGHT! _It's that easy, brothers, that easy. All we have to do is band together in an army and simply walk in and take Heorot by FORCE!"

"But keep this in mind, brothers; yes, our aim is to make ourselves the leaders, no question, but for all their faults, we must not intend to irradiate the infidels, at least not yet. For if there are to be patricians, there must also be plebeians, so what are currently trying to do is just put them in their place. As we progress through time, the weak will gradually be subjugated and weeded out of the gene pools. With selected and controlled breeding so to produce healthy strong offspring who can fend for themselves at a steady rate, _that_ is exactly how the meat proportional issue shall be solved. This is the future I am offering you, brothers, and it is the best possible one we can ever hope to achieve. Three words: _**Meat, Land and Power!"**_

The entire audience was in a fit of shouts, screams and cries, all of them I could tell were in my favour. The message had sunken through and the disgusted and harried people had at least realised the grave injustice that had been done to them. All of them were now rooting for me, championing me, alleviating me to the level of a messiah. It had worked perfectly. Now to tie up all loose ends.

"I have little more to say, other than one issue that must be resolved right here and now. If this revolution is to go forward, then it must have a leader who in turn shall become the on leader of Heorot and our race. As you probably would have already guessed, I offer myself as your leader, _but, _if there is any Turogian here, male or female who wishes to take the lead instead and to challenge me, then step forward now."

Silence. Not a single soul took an inch forward. Glances were exchanged more than a handful of eyes fell upon some of the stronger New Turogian carnivores amongst the crowd. Kixx, Richter, Chopsuey, that kind of crowd. Instead, some of those males took a step or two back.

"Very well. It is with great reluctance and a heavy heart that I accept this position. But with what will be our final act of democracy you have decided. Let it be known that the days of the council are numbered and that we are on the brink of a new era!" I then held my right arm out straight forward with my palm down, and my claws touching. "As my first act as leader of this revolution, I put forward this gesture as an expression of commitment to me, the revolution and the new order that shall follow it and as a demonstrative statement to the galaxy. It is called the Roman salute, used of course by the ancient Romans and henceforth we shall adopt it as our own. All those here who wish to officially pledge their undying allegiance right here, right now, then salute!"

A few arms shot up, followed by several more, and more, and more, until every right arm of every New Turogian standing there before me was showing their devotion through that single salute. That did it. I had won them over and now at my disposal was an entire Army of New Turogians to follow my cause. The feeling of this alone was overwhelming, though I did my very best to keep it contained.

"But for now, brothers, let us rejoice, for within a few days, we shall _RISE!"_

And there was much rejoicing. Phonographs were turned up, the meat was being shared out amongst us all like true comrades, and we began dancing in front of a fire set up by Yang. I myself was invited to dance, to which I did so very well.

This was indeed a great night for me. That is, for the moment…

* * *

My rejoicing that evening was short lived. I told the carnivores I would rendezvous with them in the same spot the next week to set out further arrangements for the insurrection, but insisted that for the rest of the night we get some much needed rest. They got it, but by the Gods, I sure did not…

Upon returning to Heorot shortly after my private meeting with the carnivores, I was met with an air of danger and impending doom. I first shrugged it off and made my way over to my sleeping spot, but it was on the way there that the beginning of that night's chain of events hit me. Medusa and Sikes were not in their spot that had once been the former's parents', sleeping in each other's arms. Where had they gone? Again, I tried to put it out of my mind. No big deal, maybe they had just gone off to get something to eat. But moments after I got back to my spot and sat down, still feeling tense for some reason, someone came stumbling towards me out of the darkness. He was exhausted and his expression looked worried beyond words.

It was Experiment 2-2-1, Sparky. Sparks were flashing between his two long antennas and he was hyperventilating, like something terrible had just happened.

"Sparky?" I stood up and looked at him in concern. "What's wrong?"

He ran up to me and said in that buzzing, almost electric and artificial voice of his, _"G-Grendel! You've got to get back to Lilo's, now!"_

"What are you talking about?" I clasped my claws onto his yellow shoulders and looked him in his large blue eyes, now felling genuinely concerned. Something bad was happening back at the Pelekai household? A million possibilities were running through my mind. "Sparky, tell me what's happened!"

Sparky bit his lip, looked down and his ears and antennas dropped as low as they possibly could. "It…it's your brother…" My magenta blood ran cold. "He's dying."

I can tell you now, with every ounce of honesty within me that those two words were like two fresh bullets buried right into the chest. Fafnir, my brother, was now at death's door. Nothing and I mean nothing could have prepared me for that. Yes, I was well aware of Fafnir's poor health and that unlike me, he wasn't going to live a long lifespan like most other experiments, but I always gave little to no thoughts of his oncoming premature death. Maybe it was because I subconsciously chose not to think of it. Maybe the prospect of actually losing him, even here at such a young age was more than I could really bare. Now here I was, standing in front of Sparky and hearing him tell me that Fafnir was on his death bed. His organs apparently started to fail him earlier that day and his life was quickly ticking away like a grandfather clock.

There was no time to lose.

* * *

I ran at full speed back to my former home, crashing through trees and bushed and shrugging whatever pain there I felt off. By the time I reached the Pelekai house, my heart felt like it could burst out through its ribcage and my chest. Without knocking, I forced the door open and met the rest of the family inside.

The whole house was under siege by the looming spectre of death. I could see everyone except Medusa there and my first priority was to embrace my mother, who was experiencing grief beyond tears if that was even possible. Everyone else looked devastated in their own way, each one of them having their own special relationship with my dying little brother. Everyone loved Faffy, I'm sure that has already been well established.

Father told me that Medusa and Sikes were in my former, now Fafnir's room, having their last moments with him, Medusa especially. Jumba intended to put my brother on a life support machine, but Mother and Father did not want that. Fafnir was dying and putting him life support was only prolonging the inevitable as his body decayed. They wanted him to go out peacefully. It was his time and that was that, no use arguing it.

I went to the door of my former room, which was left slightly open, intending to see my brother one last time before he passed on. Creeping silently inside, I found Sikes standing by the door solemnly and holding his hands together in respect.

Medusa was on her knees in pieces by the bed where my brother was lying down on. The sheets had been pulled up halfway over his dishevelled body and his eyelids were almost completely closed. He looked absolutely ravaged. I could see the Grim Reaper, a human personification of death, standing over that bed, his skeleton hand outstretched and reaching Fafnir's forehead.

He was wired up to not a life support machine, but a heart rate monitor, the slow and increasingly less frequent pulses showing on the green monitor next to the bed. Each beep and the long interval that followed it was torture.

My sister, poor thing, was resting her head gently and lovingly against our brother's fragile little head. Tears flooded from her big beautiful eyes and stained his mottled fur, the many spots that decorated it having now faded.

Pursing my lips and taking in a deep breath, I took a few steps closer, where I heard Medusa whisper something into Fafnir's ear that nearly made me chock up.

"_I love you."_

She stroked Fafnir's head and licked his face lovingly one last time, before pulling herself up and leaving the bedside and walking across to me. Without a word, we embraced each other and even though I knew it was by means the appropriate time, I inhaled as much of the strawberry scent of her fur I could.

When Medusa and Sikes left the room in each other's arms, closing the door and allowing me to say my goodbyes to my brother, I slowly approached and knelt down by the bedside. I looked at whatever was left of Fafnir on that bed. His chest rose up and down slowly and gently and you could hear his rattling breath from out his barely open mouth.

"Fafnir?" I whispered only just audibly.

He did not respond.

"Fafnir, it's me." I whispered, somewhat louder. "It's Grendel."

Fafnir's eyes twitched slightly towards me. A smile tugged at the corners of his lips, which upon close inspection had a blue tint to them.

"Oh Faffy…" I said, rubbing my forehead and sighing heavily. "What can I say? I just wish there was something I could do."

He was silent.

I shrugged and looked away for a moment, struggling so very hard for the words. This wasn't easy. This was all happening so quickly, I had become almost numb. "But you know it-it's just a part of life. Everyone has to face it at some point. That's just the way it is." Turning back to him, I smirked a bit and told him reassuringly, "It won't be scary, Faffy. You'll meet Morgitika there…and she'll take care of you. I promise."

Again, Fafnir smiled, though this time it was stronger and happier. The thought of the Turogianism Goddess of Death swooping down and lifting him up to his eternal rest in her warm, loving arms soothed him.

"But hey, I'll tell you this, alright? Listen…" I told him with genuine honesty and reached my claws out over his. This was something I just had to tell him before died, for it was the only way for us to make peace with each other. "I take back every mean and nasty thing I ever said about you or to you. You've always been a good brother to me, Fafnir, and I…" I took another shaky breath. "…and I'm not mad at you. I've never been mad at you. That's something I want you to know, okay?"

Fafnir appeared to twitch his head forward in a nod.

"Okay."

A long pause of silence passed between us, with the exception of the loud beeps from the monitor. Not knowing what else I could say, I decided it best to wrap it up and leave him to his final slumber.

Keeping my claws over his, I stood up over him and said clearly, meaning every word, "I love you, brother."

What happened next shook my very foundations. Fafnir fluttered his eyes and taking in a long breath of air, he spoke – not laughed, spoke – to me in a rasping, broken voice, _"And I love you…brother."_

The tears poured over the edge of eyes and down my face and my lips trembled. Never before had he ever spoken. It was thought by Jumba that he would never be able to, despite the many times during his earlier years when he tried so hard to and only ended up laughing. But the fact that he had spoken for the first time did not interest me. It was _what_ he said that had me overwhelmed.

Reaching down, I wrapped my arms around my only brother and hugged him for the first time since I could remember. He lifted his frail arms and hugged me back. The only regret I felt was how we only reached this level of love between two brothers at one of our death beds. Now it was too late. Fafnir's time left in this world was measured in hours and this kind of moment we shared was both first and last.

* * *

In the early hours of the following morning, Fafnir died peacefully in his sleep. We all received the news at the same time and I, not bearing to manage the tidal wave of grief of my Ohana, without a word walked out the front door and onto the porch. There I just stood, looking out at the spot where Fafnir used to sleep and awaken us every morning with his laughter. We would never receive such a privilege again. Leaning against the blue wooden bars, I cried in mourning of my fallen brother. What else could I do but cry?

A funeral was held for Fafnir three days later. We were either going to have it be a traditional Earth funeral that many humans would have, or a Turogianist one, which would have been the first one among our people ever held because…no Experiment or their offspring had up to that point died. It came as such a shock to the entire New Turogian population when the news spread out to them like wildfire. We decided on the Turogianist one for two reasons. One; Nani was barely making ends meet as it was and arranging an Earth one properly would have been too costly and two; Mother and Father preferred a Turogianist as culturally, the New Turogian part of our Ohana did adhere to Turogianism. It was held in the evening as the stars gathered in the night scare and led by Shoe, who was understandably nervous as it was the first funeral he ever conducted.

Every New Turogian, both carnivore and omnivore, attended my brother's funeral at the empty part of the beach where I had talked to the carnivores only a few nights before. For nearly all of them being the first funeral they had ever been to, but thankfully, they all acted in a dignified, respectful and solemn manner. Turogianism dictates that we were all to wear black robes, black of course representing death, which was fair enough. The funeral itself was uncannily similar to that of a Viking's. Fafnir's body, dressed in black robe as well, was placed on a wooden raft surrounded by all his favourite possessions at the edge of the sea. Standing before us all, Shoe read aloud the rituals and proceedings in Tantalog like at Medusa and Sikes' wedding, here looking up into the sky to ask Morgitika to come down and take Fafnir's soul in her warm, loving arms and lift him up to his rest in the heavens.

By the end of the wake and before the climax of the funeral everyone had tears in their eyes, including me. I had never seen my father and sister look so depressed and my mother, oh by the Gods, she was completely inconsolable. When it came to the raft and Fafnir being sent out to sea she practically fell apart. All of it was than she could handle and she spent the rest of the funeral crying into Nani, who was as you expect very understanding and struggling to keep her own emotions under control as well. I could only imagine the sheer pain my parents were going through. No parent should ever have to bury (well, in this case, not bury) their own child, who they loved and cherished dearly. Father tried to embrace and console her, but she didn't want it him and stayed with Nani. He soon became overwhelmed by the grief of his loss and let himself by consoled by Lilo, his lifelong friend. Medusa, meanwhile, stood by and cried into her husband's shoulder, who ran his claws up and down her head and as I stood there, allowing Eva to stand next to me and rest on my arm, I tried to supress this flam of jealously burning inside me at the sight of it. I managed to do so and focused on my brother's funeral. This was _his _day.

When the raft sailed far enough out to sea, Shoe nodded to Yang, who shot a blast of lava from the hump of his back into the air amd from the angle of trajectory, it landed right on the raft. In no time at all, the raft, Fafnir and his possessions were engulfed by the flames and they soon all sunk into the dark abyss of the ocean. As it did, I was sure I caught a glimpse of Morgitika swooping down and landed laid form over Fafnir's flaming corpse. Most likely I was just seeing things, but it was possible I was having a true numinous experience.

After the funeral finally came to an end, the guests dispersed and went home, my brother having been given his proper send off and now resting eternally with Morgitika and all the other Gods. The only thing I could muster up to say at the end of it all was this. "Goodbye, brother." That would suffice.

You would think that my brother's death would make me want to put off the revolution I was planning for a while. You're wrong. Fafnir's death took its toll on us all, but that could not forestall me. I was still going to rendezvous with the carnivores at the arranged date and continue planning, through the grief and the tears. Fafnir did not live to see the glorious revolution and my rise to power, but instead it was all going to done in his memory. This was in a way my monument to him and I know for a fact that he would have appreciated it.

* * *

**(A/N) Okay, everyone, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. In the next, Grendel finally goes through with it and starts his revolution and seizure of power. About time, eh? So as usual, please do read and review.**


	7. Chapter VII: Revolution

**(A/N) Hello, everyone and welcome back to the seventh chapter of Grendel and let me start off by saying that I am sorry this update has taken almost a month to post. Terribly sorry, but there are good reasons as to why. First of all, the amount of Sixth Form work has been more than any man can bear. Trust me, it has left me shattered. Second, with a project like this, it does take quite a lot of inspiration and unfortunately, I went through a bit of a mental block with this story for a short while. But you know, it happens to all of us at some point, so I guess that's life. And third, I am also working on another important fan fiction, 'The Bloody Buttons' as to balance out the genres I am working in, keeping my taste and inspiration fresh in a way.**

**So anyway, with that aside, this is quite a pinnacle chapter as it at long last (for me at least), it finally sees Grendel taking control of Heorot. Yes people, it finally happens. It IS a bit short, but by Chirst it happens. I deserve a nice, tall and cold glass of **_**Strongbow**_** for making it at least this far. So enjoy.**

* * *

**Chapter VII**

**Revolution**

It may surprise you, but the glorious revolution that I had promised my devout followers all this time actually took place only a week and a bit after my brother's death. Not only that; the revolution itself was not as bloody or cataclysmic as you first might think. Of course, I will have to go into quite a bit of detail.

You see, I must be absolutely honest here in saying that the prospect of actually becoming the leader of my race really hit me hard the closer the day of revolution came. I talked and thought about it a lot, but following it through sounded almost improbable. Would it really work? Would my followers really pull through and thrust me into power as I had entrusted them? And even if they did, would I really be able to effectively govern a 'country' at my relatively young age? Doubt was building up in my mind so much that at one point I considered calling the whole thing off. Damn good thing I didn't. Sometimes, I would conclude years after my ascension to power, you just have to take the plunge and pray the Gods are on your side.

I had gone back to the carnivores at the same beach and on the same date as arranged the following week, wearing my uniform, sash and everything else to make me look professional. Fafnir's death still weighed heavily on my soul, but I was a man, and men must learn to deal with loss, much stronger than women at least. Every carnivore deserter was there like before, lined up like soldiers to receive their orders. The strongest of the carnivores I chose stood beside me on the rock that ascended me above the majority.

The hordes of carnivores were all dressed in black shirts of jackets and stood with such strict discipline that you would they were about to take on the Wehrmacht army. My "Blackshirts", that was what I decided to call them, for it was as good as any. I held out my claws out flat in the Turogian salute and received thunderous applause and the salute in return. When they all settled and all eyes were on me, I cleared my throat and addressed them all in a gruff, authoritarian manner. It was a good thing I had watched _Patton _a million times, because otherwise I wouldn't have had bull crap to tell them. I was kinda going through a mental block at that time, so getting a little inspiration from other sources like that didn't hurt.

"Now I want you all to remember that no bastard ever achieved greatness by dying for a cause. He achieved it by killing the other poor dumb bastard who stood in his way. Men, all this stuff you've heard about us being tame, docile creatures – preferring to make peace and not war, is a load of horse shit. We're Turogians and by tradition, we love a good fight. What else do you think you older generations were programmed to do? And to those of my generation, we were kids, you all admired the fastest runner and the most skilled hunter. We love a winner and will not tolerate a loser. We play to win all the time and I swear to the Gods, if I ever met one of my kind who lost and laughed, I'll kick him so hard in the ribs there'll be nothing left in there but dust! Now, we Turogians are an army, not just as a community but as a force - we live, eat, sleep, fight as an army. Individualism is a load of shit and I will NOT have any of it under my leadership...

Now, we have the finest discipline, the best spirit, and the best men in the world. You know, to be honest, I actually pity those poor bastards we're goin' up against. By the Gods, I do. Because we're gonna put into practice what I told you last time; we're gonna get together and march all the way to Heorot and take it over using our bear claws. Not only that, anyone who stands in our way and does not submit to us, we beat the living hell out of! No wait, scratch that, we're going to cut out their living innards and hang them on our walls like trophies. Now, some of you boys, I know, are wondering whether or not you'll chicken out when faced with killing one of your own kind. Don't worry about it. I can assure you that you will all do what you know is right for our people's greater good. The infidels, the supporters of the council are the enemy, don't forget that! You march in there, tell them how it is and if they nod and step outta your way, then fine, they're one of us. If they don't…spill their blood, rape their wives, and crack their children's skulls!

All this is going to go down this following Monday, and if you happen to have any plans for then, well tough shit! That is the day we're going to kick the hell out of those infidel bastards; that's the day we're gonna go through him like crap through a goose! That! Is the day! That our flag will fly over Heorot, proclaiming our people's REBIRTH! Now, there's one thing that you men will be able to say when all this is over and done with, and you may thank the Gods for it. A decade or so from now when you're sitting around the fire with your grandchildren huddled up on you side and they ask you: 'What did you do in the glorious revolution?' you won't have to say: 'Well, I cowered in the corner and gnawed on my crouch.' All right, now you sons-of-bitches, you know how I feel and I will be proud to lead you wonderful guys into battle anytime, anywhere. That is all."

John F. Kennedy, eat your heart out, you election-stealing pretty boy bastard.

* * *

It was indeed that following Monday that my March on Heorot finally took place. Fittingly enough, it was a relatively cold day and the thick dark clouds were gathering in the sky. The calm before the storm, it would have seemed. My Blackshirts were all positioned at the beach, divided up into about four squads and all wearing this time more...professional-looking uniforms. Yes, they were all dressed in black shirts, but included in their ensembles were black trousers, belts to hold up the latter and keep shirts tucked in; shining black and grey boots and blue and white sashes worn vertically across their bodies from the shoulders. Meanwhile, the leaders of each squad, ranked as Ras after the leaders of the Italian fascist squads were made distinct by their peaked black caps. You had Bonnie and Clyde to thank for that; the two may not have exactly become the devout followers of my movement as most of the carnivores, but they were both smart enough to keep on the winning side, so they "generously" offered to swipe better equipment for my Blackshirts. Also, in each squad, one lucky Turogian was hand chosen by me to bear the flag of the movement and what would be the official flag of the new regime.

The Ras were consisted of those strongest of the carnivores that I had hand chosen to stand by me back at my announcement of the march. They were Kixx, Chopsuey, Richter and Yang, all of them competent leaders from whom I could guarantee maximum efficiency and discipline from the Blackshirts. Although loyalty was another issue as it was evident that Richter himself was rather ambitious. Normally, ambition is something I commend in a New Turogian, but the problem with Richter was that his ambitions came across as too high and might have paralleled my own. He also came across as quite argumentative with me, questioning some of my key decisions and indirectly my leadership in general. Yes, I could trust him to lead a squad, but could I really trust him to serve under me once the day was won? So just to be safe, I gave Kixx, Chopsuey, Yang and even Richter's subordinates secret orders that if Richter took any "questionable" actions during the march, he was to detained immediately. This would prove to be a wise decision of mine.

* * *

At early morning, ten minutes until seven o'clock if the records are corrected, the Ras took action. They blew their whistles and shouting to their men, all four squads began their march towards Heorot, at first slowly in a proper marching style, their feet simultaneously stomping the jungle earth in an eerie chorus. Shortly, the nearer they approached Heorot, the more they picked up the pace. The flag bearers soon took the flags out of the leather carriers they wore on their backs and began waving them in the air enthusiastically.

Where was I during all this? With Eva and lying down at the now empty beach, of course. You didn't think I was actually going to put myself at the forefront and in danger of getting injured, did you? Hell no. The plan was for them to go in and occupy Heorot and once they did, I would come along, brush the bloodied corpses of the council members out of the way and proclaim myself leader. Well, actually, there was one little titbit of my plan that I had not told anyone, not even the Ras, and for most people, it was going to be quite the big surprise.

"Grendel?"

I turned over on the sand, away from her. "What?" I groaned, frowning and curling up almost into a ball.

Eva crept up to and put her claws together. "Do you want me to go?" she asked meekly.

"No…you can stick around if you want to, or leave." I sighed irritably, looking at her out of the corner of my eye. "I really don't care."

She mewed and rested herself on my back, giving off a gentle purr. I didn't want her affection, so I just crawled away and stood up.

"Okay, can you knock that off?" I half-asked, half-snapped.

"Hey, I didn't do anything wrong!" Eva protested, standing up herself. "I was just trying to comfort you."

"Well maybe I don't want any of your 'comfort'!" I retorted fiercely and pointed my snout in the air. "I've got enough to worry about without you trying to get into my pants!" Sitting back down on the sand, I faced away towards the scene of palm trees to my left and the sea body to my right. "Stupid female…"

By now, Eva had had enough and for the first time since meeting her, she stood up for herself. "Get inside your pants? Oh-my-God! You think I'M the one trying to get some? I think you're forgetting what happened last week, Mr Man!"

I cringed. She was referring to our…activities the other week on the night of my brother's death. We walked side by side after the funeral, silent in our shared grief. As night approached, Eva asked if there was anything that she could do to help and I told her there was. I did not fully understand it, but I felt that the only way my feelings of loss could be numbed even for a few moments was to satisfy my carnal desires at the time. And in that brief time, in the pale moonlight, a burning urge to fuck her beautiful, unspoiled body overcame me. I asked for her consent to lay down on her back and lend her body to me for a few moments. She was more than happy to oblige and the deed was done within less than four minutes. I did not leave that day empty handed. Yes, I lost my brother, but I won one of the greatest treasures a man can obtain: a woman's virginity.

She continued indignantly, putting her claws on her rather wide hips, "That's right! I gave my innocence to you, Grendel Pelekai!"

"Pfft! Oh dear, you lost your innocence, huh? Well, biiig loss!" I laughed haughtily, turning back and walking up to Eva to look her in the eyes. "Okay, here's something a female like you doesn't seem to understand by herself; girls like you are a dime a dozen! Even your virginity isn't worth THAT much!"

"You…you can't talk to me like that!" Eva yelled, balling her claws up as if she were actually going to slash at me.

Getting up in face, I snarled, "You're a female; I'll talk to you however I damn well want!"

Eva forced herself forward so that our snouts were pressed against each other. "I wouldn't be so sure of that if I were you, Big shot."

My ribs rattled uncontrollably in laughter. What did this airheaded bitch think she was playing at? "You know, if I didn't know any better, Eva, I'd think you were actually trying to threaten me." I sneered, lifting her chin up by my index claw.

She slapped my claw away and spat, "You bet I am! I'm tired of you treating me like crap all the time and I want a little respect!"

"Puh-lease, like you ever had any for yourself in the first place."

Eva's cheeks were beginning to flush crimson. "W-well…let's just see how much you'll have left once I tell everybody you had sex with me outside of marriage!"

"Pfft! You think in this macho-based society anyone will care about that? Get real!"

"Then I'll tell everyone you RAPED me!" She screamed furiously, catching me off guard. "Then we'll see how popular our people's 'fantastic' new leader is!"

I outstretched my claws and grabbed Eva by the collar of her black shirt and pulled her in close to my face and grinned toothily, "You stupid bitch. Go ahead and tell them all the crap you want, but who do you think they'll believe, you, an empty-headed slut? Or me, the most respected Turogian on the whole island. It sure doesn't look too good for you."

However, an arrogant smirk appeared on her face and she told me, putting her claws to her stomach, "Oh, okay then…we'll just see about that when in a few months, I come up to everyone with a baby in my arms and they ask me who its father is." My eyes widened and I stared at her blankly. "Yeah, that's right. I checked this morning. I'm pregnant with your first child. Now you've got something on your hands you can't just get rid of." She poked me on the chest with her index claw. "Now what are you gonna do about that, pretty boy?"

Immediately, I broke my grip on her collar and with a roar, ringed my claws around her little neck. "You…little…whore!" I growled monstrously, teeth bared and eyes narrowed down to slits. "I should rip your fucking head off!"

"But you won't, will you?" She replied coolly, her expression remaining calm despite the fact that my claws were pressing into the sides of her throat. "You know, you talk a lot tough, Grendel, but deep down, I know you haven't got the balls to kill me…or our baby."

Deep down, I knew she was right, at least regarding the last part. That child in her womb was not just hers, but mine as well. My baby boy or baby girl. It all set in so heavily; I was going to be someone's father. By all rights, I should beaten the living Hell out of Eva right then and there, but if that meant harming or worse killing my child, then I just couldn't do it.

My claws slowly released themselves from around Eva's neck and I took a few steps back, looking down at the sand. "What do you want?" I mumbled almost inaudibly.

Eva smoothed the fur down on her neck and came up to me slowly in a seductive manner. She rested her elbow on my shoulder and scratched her delicate but finely filed nails behind my ear. She purred, "Oh, nothing much…just what I've been wanting for last several years. You become leader, and I stand at your side, if you know what I mean…" Eva rubbed her belly with maternity. "And our precious little heir. Whatcha think of that?"

I stood there in silence, not wanting to even look at her. "You're a conniving little bitch..." The watch on my wrist began beeping and I looked down at it. It was time to go. "We'll discuss this later, because I've got business to attend to." I moved passed her and trekked up the sand slope and towards the jungle, before looking back at her and asking in a more gentle tone, "You coming?"

She smirked and walked up alongside me, "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

* * *

When Eva and I had at last reached Heorot, my Blackshirts were already there and occupying the whole land, albeit not entirely in the organised and clean fashion which I had previously envisioned. It was just a tad, how should I say it…disorderly?

The Blackshirts had flooded Heorot and surrounded it from the North, South, East and West, claws outstretched, flags waving and murder in their roars. The very second they were on Heorot soil, the discipline imposed upon them by the Ras broke down and within no time at all, everything broke out in a riotous frenzy of bloodshed and gore. The Blackshirts were still on my side, but they were behaving more like a motorcycle gang than a professional army, then again, I could not really expect anything better. On the plus side, they were still following my orders in that they gave every person the opportunity to submit to my rule and viciously savaged anyone who refused, and from the number of bodies lying bloodied and broken on the earth, there were quite a handful of them. Also, many of supporters in Heorot who right then and there realised what was happening took advantage of the situation and immediately declared their loyalty to me and even joined in with the Blackshirts in their inquisition. Although, for many of the Blackshirts who were simply looking for a good fight, even stammering was considered by them to be an act against my movement and so promptly smashed their snouts in. All of it was quite a bloodied mess. One of the only things that kept me from calling this a near-mess was that the vast majority of women and children were placed out of harm's way, mostly by my Blackshirts themselves.

Upon first sight of me, the Ras shouted to the Blackshirts for order, whom, also upon seeing me, fell silent, so much so that you could hear a pin drop on the earth from miles away. As I marched militarily through Heorot, the Blackshirts all stood back as I did, clearing a path for me. Every Turogian in the 'Army' made sure to raise their right claw out in a salute to me as I passed them as well. This was it; they were all, Blackshirt or not, accepting me as their one and only leader.

As the Ras came up to walk by my side and inflate their importance in the revolution, I noticed all of them but Richter were there. Later, I would find out that Richter did indeed make an attempt to usurp the revolution, trying to hijack it under his own leadership, but by then the chaos broke out and he was easily detained and tied up in nylon. Not to worry. I would deal with that fat treacherous bastard myself later on.

At the far end of Heorot, I found the now former council, or rather, who was left alive of it. I believe only four of them were still living at that point, albeit bloodied and broken and on their knees with their claws tied behind their backs with nylon rope.

B-e-a-utiful. I got down on one knee and looked at the one placed right before me. The now former President of the Council and my predecessor of leader of the New Turogians, Experiment 0-0-1, aka Shrink.

"Well, well, well…" I slapped my claw hard across his head. "Guess who the 'loud mouth malcontent' is now, Shrink." He did not reply to me and instead kept his head down. "You should have listened to me while you still had the chance. But hey, I'm a generous man, so tell you what…" I yanked his head upwards so that he looked at me. "If you swear your loyalty to me right here, then I'll let you live."

Shrink furrowed his brows, gathered the spittle in his mouth and spat right in my face. I retained my calm composure and slowly wiped the saliva off with my claws, as he told me darkly, "You got to hell, you son of a bitch."

"Have it your way."

_Crack! _Within a blink of an eye, I pulled Shrink into a headlock and cracked his neck, killing him instantly. I tossed the worthless corpse that I would not even feed to an infant to the ground and told the Ras standing next to me, "Finish the last three." Moments later, the remaining three members of the council's lives meaningless lives were ended.

With my last obstacle to power out of the way, I walked up onto a pile of carcasses in front of me so it allowed me to oversee my people.

"My people…the council has FALLEN!" I roared, spreading my arms out wide and received a thunder of applause in chorus with that from the heavy dark clouds in the sky. "The Heorot we know is now a thing of the past! And in its place I will give you a bigger, stronger Heorot where our species shall no longer be divided into carnivore and omnivore, but united together in the common goal of a great and glorious future!" I lowered my open claws to them and the Blackshirts in particular of the audience looked like they were about to explode in a fit of hysterics.

I snapped my fingers and one Blackshirt I had chosen to bear one of the flags clambered up onto the pile with me, the flag still clasped between his thick black claws. I motioned for where to impale it and he did so with gusto. The flag itself was based off none other than my cherished flag of Scotland, the Saltire, with one major difference. In the centre was a design of a fierce-looking black claw with thick white outlines. This was my new nation's flag, the Grendel's Cross.

"And now at last, my people, it is with great honour I proclaim that from out the ashes of the old Heorot, we see the birth of the _First-Kingdom-of Heorot! _At the helm of the grand new nation I declare myself, Grendel, the **FIRST KING OF HEOROT AND THE NEW TUROGIAN RACE! **For a safe and secure society!" I shot out my arm in salute. "Hail your new King!"

That did it. Every New Turogian, from the youngest to the oldest, raised their claws out flat and hailed me. The whole audience was alive with thunderous applause from then afterward, chanting, "Hail Grendel!" and "Long live King Grendel!" They all belonged to me. Every last one of them.

The whole "King" thing did not bare any major significance other than it was more or less just a treat to myself. I thought up this revolution, I led it, so I think I _earned_ that title.

It had all come full circle. At long last, after so much planning and struggle, I was the ruler of my people. I was King. Up above in the heavy sky, it began to pour down rain, which brought to me more relaxation than it did annoyance as it drenched my fur. Truly for the first time in my young life, I was content.

* * *

**(A/N) Please do Read and Review!**


	8. Chapter VIII: Year One

**(A/N) Hey, everyone. Now I know, I know, it has been far, FAR too long since I last updated this story. I take full responsibility for it. Yes, I had my A-Level exams, but they've been over for a while now, so I can't blame them, just my lack of interest and inspiration. However, I have recently gained some inspiration for the story and will be continuing it with hope that said inspiration won't run out any time soon.**

* * *

**Chapter VIII**

**Year One**

So there you have it, my dear listener, I was finally the King. It's hard to imagine I had come this far, this quickly, but there was no denying it. Their world was mine on a silver platter. Now the exact details of the process of establishing my Kingdom after the revolution are mostly tedious and uninteresting, so I will not bore you with them. All you need to know is that on that historical night, I declared myself the 'undisputable leader of our people' and everyone else seemed cool with it, that's that.

It is now that we reach in my story what I dub the 'beginning of my glory days', where I started reshaping Heorot and my people's society the way I saw fit. So let's begin…

* * *

_Eight months later…_

It was _Year One_ of the _New Era_ as New Turogian historians of my time so humbly recorded it. The landscape of Heorot had undergone great change since my takeover. Under my rule, the savage wilderness that plagued this land for so many years had finally been tamed and now law and order was firmly established. I had transformed a scorched land of animals to that of a true civilisation, or at the very least, the foundations of one.

Throughout Heorot during this period, you would not see many barren spaces and piles of rotting animal carcasses, but instead a fairly organised array of 'huts' as it were, which were at this time still under the construction process with most completed. At the far end of the assortment were a few fairly larger rectangular huts, or 'villas' as I liked to nickname thee, made with better care and quality of material.

These were a new form of living arrangements for the residents of Heorot, instead of them just lying about the filthy ground like beasts; smallish square huts made from wood and rocks, all arranged in blocks of four by four huts. They and the blocks themselves were built close to each other, creating considerably narrow and dark alleyways and consequently a half-baked simulation of the rough streets of 19th century London. The 'villas' were actually kept a certain distance away from the blocks of huts, so that they stood out and their appearance was not tarnished by the shanties. But I'd made careful not to urbanize Heorot too much. Many portions of empty land in Heorot were either being left alone or utilized for facilities such as water pumps, carcass disposal areas and even staircases down into the caverns and their government backed facilities – they were government's biggest projects, but I will go more into that in due course.

On the mounds of rock determining the geographical boundaries of the Kingdom, their faces dawned large banners for all New Turogians to see. The most common of these banners were the kingdom's flag, the Grendel's Cross, but more than one, typically the ones near the centre, where black-and-white lithographs of myself, King Grendel I. My eyes were always watching over Heorot in one way or another.

At the far end of Heorot, furthest away from the entrance was, well, where I lived. To call it a 'palace' would be a stretch too far, but a 'castle' might be a more appropriate term. It was a rectangular shaped building attached to the mountain wall with rounded corners and three tall spiralling towers that scraped the sky like minarets, one being in the middle and the other two to the left and right. Unlike the huts that were made of wood and common rocks, this castle of mine was specially made from the black rock that resulted from the combination of Yin's water and Yang's lava and beaten properly into shape by my now former Blackshirts' bare claws. It was a gift from Yang, which would "proclaim his loyalty to me for a thousand years". Take my word for it, he was well rewarded.

Beyond the castle's hard wood and iron door that was well guarded by four black uniformed Turogians, and through the simple interior structure of narrow hallways and limited assortment of rooms, you would find my throne room at the very back.

It was the biggest and most grand – if that term is appropriate – of the few castle rooms. It was filled with little other than my throne, carved from black rock, polished to make it as smooth as possible. It was designed so I could easily lounge against the smoothed seat. A few tapestries hung from the walls with a large scale portrait of myself right above my throne, and a couple of flaming torches were built into the wall.

Now truth be told, once I actually gained my power and everything started going my way, I decided to take things a little…easier for myself. I mean, I was now the King, my main goal was achieved. Yeah, I had some big plans for Heorot, but it was time for myself to start living like a ruler should – in luxury. By that, I mean I spent most of my time sitting on my "throne" and eating my weight in meat and fruit. In hindsight, the latter was not that bright of an idea.

I'd gotten pretty fat in those eight months. Not morbidly obese, but kinda fat. I'd mostly developed an engorged stomach the stretched out to hang from the rest of my body, which, although now softer, still maintained toned muscle. I was eating a lot of raw meat, a lot more than I needed. Yet I still had my other physical deformities from my youth, such as my hunched back, an arm that was still withered (now encased in muscle and flab) and the scars on my face. Over my body I usually wore a silk black toga-like garb specially tailored for my many arms (my left set sleeved and my right set left bare) and a large gold necklace just to make me stand out as the King of Heorot.

Don't think I didn't do anything else than lay about eating; I attended my royal routinely and to the letter. I possessed absolute power from the day of the kingdom's establishment, but the problem was that in reality, running a whole kingdom was too much for one to do alone, so a little bit of help was required. A month into my reign, I decreed the setting up of the _"Royal Cabinet of Ministers",_ a small group of handpicked New Turogians - all virulent carnivores, all male, all former high ranking Blackshirts and mostly noblemen with titles – that convened every week with me at its head. Their main job was to advise me on my autocratic royal policy and report to me on the progress of my policy in their assigned political fields. Each Minister had limited political power, but each was specialized in their portfolio that their counsel, albeit replaceable, was valued. They, along with the high-ranking members of the Royal Guard and other noblemen, were the occupiers of the 'villas' in front of the miserable little huts. Whilst I had the main course of luxury, they were entitled to the rat scraps I left over.

But my meeting with the cabinet was only once a week, and so that left me with a lot of spare time on my hands, unless I was called to head unexpected judicial trial or other royal business. I was left with a few options: think up any new royal decrees that were to be recorded down by one of my scribes and announced and enforced by the Royal Guard; spend time with the my family or third, slump on my throne and gorge on food and women. Guess which one I spent most time on?

* * *

Let's take one significant day out of the many, normally boring ones. It was a dreary morning in the dead of winter and the skies were blanketed with grey clouds, and I had awoken from my chamber and trekked through the hollow castle hallways into my throne room. I climbed onto the polished throne and relaxed my muscles and let my bulking frame rest on the polished service. I was still letting the booziness in my gorged stomach from last night's binge drink settle down.

Today was supposed to be simply another off-day for me. I would lounge on my throne, order some food and drink and lose myself in my own idleness. After a while, I got bored with that and decided a required a little company; female company.

As King, I bestowed onto myself a certain Right, which in layman's terms was that I was entitled to any woman of my fancy, be I married or not (which unfortunately, I was). I could summon as many women I wanted into my presence and do whatever I wanted with her. It was, in retrospective, one of my best decisions in the early days of my reign. At the very least, it quelled my boredom.

Three young females sat around my throne, all of them well-bred and prime cuts of my species. They were dressed up in glittering gaudy dresses and had curves that seemed to never end. All of them were assigned the duty of making their King feel "comfortable" and don't pretend you don't know what I mean.

After a while, I got bored with their teasing and drooling over my bod and was about to dismiss them, when another female entered the throne room, swaggering about in a tight fitting purple silk dress over her fat and lumpy frame. It was my wife, Eva, the Queen of Heorot.

She slinked over to my throne, bared her teeth and hissed at the three females hanging around me. The females backed off immediately and at her orders, scurried out of the throne room like cockroaches.

I flopped my large sleeveless arms onto the smooth armrest and told her nonchalantly, "In case you forgot, my dear, I'm the one who gives orders."

Eva huffed and climbed onto my throne, sitting down behind me and wrapping her arms around one of my many. "Don't you have any shame, Grendel? You're married to me!"

"King's Right, babe." I shrugged simply.

"I don't care if it's your "Right", you fat pig!" she bleated furiously, grasping my toga and glaring me in the face. "I'm still your wife, in case you forgot, and I have feelings!"

Hearing this just made me want to laugh my ass off. "Uh-huh?"

"You hardly even _see_ me anymore!"

"Well, not like there's much to look at it." I sneered, expecting my claws, treating them with more importance than the presence of my wife. "Hey, maybe if you didn't let yourself go, then maybe I wouldn't have to summon girls to give me pleasure."

Eva looked incredibly offended by this and pressed her claws against her large hanging tire belly. "How dare you? I lost my figure to give you your children, Grendel! Your heirs!" Just in case you forgot, prior to my taking over of Heorot, I got Eva pregnant. To avoid the scandal, I married her straight after the revolution and she became the Queen of Heorot once the Kingdom was established.

A growl escaped my throat and I rested one side of my face in my palm. "Oh, yeah, sure…my precious "heirs"! We took two shots at it, and you couldn't even get their sex right!"

To be honest, I was actually looking forward to the birth of my first child and heir to my throne. As the months of pregnancy, which was short for my species, passed I began to feel a growing sense of pride in becoming a father. Yet when the celebratory day for my Kingdom finally came, I was met by – how should I put it? – a depressing sense of disappointed. Eva gave birth to surprisingly only one offspring, and this wouldn't have been too bad, if not for one thing – it was a _girl!_

Yeah, yeah, say what you want, but it was my decree that the first in line to the royal throne was the firstborn SON of the acting monarch. I am sure I had the full support of my loyal subjects on this. I did not dismiss my daughter, but I was still furious with my wife for delivering me a child of the wrong gender and forced her to make love to me that very night. I was hoping that this time we would get it right, but I was only to meet further disappointed when Eva gave birth to another girl. It was at this second major let-down that I decided to give my family "baby boom" a rest for a while. Eva needed it especially – going through two pregnancies in a row had seriously fucked up her once beautiful body and left her with the lumpy and bulging mess she had now.

"They are your _daughters!"_ She barked and climbed off my throne. She put her claws on the armrests and lurched herself over me. "The very least you could do is spend five minutes with them."

"Fine." I looked up at her, scratching the fur of my chin. My wife was right, for once, that I did not see a lot of my two daughters. "You can present them both to me, tonight."

She did not say a word, but turned around and stormed out of my throne, leaving me at last to myself. I took the plate decorated with varying assortments of chopped meat, including boar and goat, skewered individual pieces with my index claw and flicked them into my mouth. These were the juiciest slabs of meat retrieved by the HHS, the _Heorot Hunting Squadrons_; a crack squad of hunting specialists who went hunting animals for the entire kingdom. As you can imagine from my pre-revolutionary promises to the masses, vegetarianism and later omnivorism were being slowly squeezed out from our social norms and values. Yet the finest meat was reserved only for me and those in my inner circle. A King deserves the best.

* * *

A few hours passed and I was at the point of drifting off into my own sleep when someone banged the double doors to my throne room. I groaned, my eyes still shut and hollered for them to enter, and they came stumbling inside. I arose to see that it was one of my handful of Royal Viziers, or "Yes-men", who were a lot like the cabinet ministers, although their counsel was more general and served more like confidants. He came to alert me that my presence was needed for another judicial trial.

"Can't it wait?" I muttered bitterly, snuggling myself into a corner of my throne.

The Vizier tugged nervously on his collar. "W-well, sire, there is quite a mob forming around the case. It would seem it is quite the controversial one today, sire, and your presence and judgement are needed to restore the peace."

I climbed out of my throne and onto the smoothed rock floor and stretched my back intensively like a cat waking up from one of its extensive naps. "Alright then, it better be important...for your sake." I then followed him out of the throne room and out of the castle and, with a group of Royal Guard officers encircling me, towards the entry to the underground caverns. Down there, at that present time, one of the only functioning facilities was the court room.

* * *

A trial in Heorot during my reign was a lot different than the ones you humans have. The cause for trial was of course the same: one of my royal subjects committed a criminal transgression and was so arrested and brought to trial. However, instead of just a judge and jury, the trial and the whole judiciary was headed by myself, as well as the Minister for Justice and a chosen Vizier. We would sit down at a table and listen to the facts presented before us by the defence and prosecutor. Then the Minister and my Vizier would give me their opinions privately and after giving it my own thought, I would declare whether I found him or her guilty and if need be, declare the sentence.

On that cold day, the whole court was packed with New Turogians, all dressed in some garment or another, waiting anxiously for the trial to begin. For many, this was the closest thing to entertainment they had.

I marched down the open space in front of the door and in between the two huddled crowds of New Turogians, bringing about dead silence with me. Without a word of my own, I sat down behind a desk at the far end of the ice cold room with the Minister for Justice and the Vizier who had informed me of the trial.

Within moments, the accused was brought before us, carried by arms by two Royal Guard officers, who promptly threw him to the floor. His wrists were tied up behind his back with nylon rope and he looked like the officers had just kicked the ever-loving crap out of him, judging especially by his two black eyes, banged up nose and busted teeth.

The male on trial, a fairly young one, was accused of the attempted rape of a female a few months his junior. Said female was in the court that very day, looking roughed up and her fur was stained with her dried tears, being comforted by who I presumed to be her indignant father or brother. Rape, even attempted rape, was a serious offence in my kingdom. We were indeed a patriarchal society, but even so, we treated women with at least dignity and such acts were damaging to males' right to rule.

I took one look at the accused's face and could tell immediately without a shadow of a doubt that this male was guilty. The way he avoided eye contact with his King, the way he bit his lip and the look of no remorse on his worthless face. Yet still, I let the judicial process be carried out and allowed both sides to present their case.

We had no lawyers as of yet in Heorot, and so each side was to be represented by a New Turogian of their choice. The female was represented by, who it turned out to be, her father. I listened dully to the evidenced he presented, that he had heard his daughter cry for her help that morning and had seen the accused male running away from the scene when he arrived to his daughter's aide. Next, I was to hear from the accused. His brother, an equally pathetic male, was chosen to represent him. He stuttered a rambling account of the events, saying he believed his brother was with him that morning, though he definitely made sure to point out that he was not that aware of the exact time. Obviously, it was crystal clear to even him that his brother was guilty, so made sure not to testify anything that would not put himself in any hot water.

The testimonies were over quickly and it was then left to me, the minister and my Vizier to deliberate amongst ourselves. Or to be more accurate, each just whispered into my ear what they thought and I made the decision after a few more seconds thought.

I did so and at last readdressed the audience of the courtroom, standing up from my seat. "Alright, alright, settle down! After considering both testimonies presented before me, I have come to my royal judgement!" There was a moment of silence and the anticipation in the room grew with every fleeting second. "I hereby find this boy guilty of the crime of attempted rape against the female standing before us today." There was a loud cheer of delight from the audience, the kind that you only heard when justice was served. I glowered down at the worthless slab of flesh and fur that now trembled in fear before me. "You disgust even me, _boy. _You tried to violate this innocent female just to satisfy your libido. Therefore, as of immediately, you shall be taken out to the centre square of Heorot…and you shall be publicly castrated by the claws of the Royal Guards! And after said _humiliation_, they shall _tear open_ your throat and you SHALL suffer a slow, _painful_ death!"

I banged the small hammer against the table and the audience went into a wild jubilant frenzy. The accused started darting his head left and right and screaming hysterically as the Royal Guard officers who brought him into the court room grabbed him by the arms and hauled him out of it, the people hissing and spitting at him as this happened. The last I saw of him was when he stumbled near the door and one of the officers kicked him hard up the backside to get him out.

Oh, and I think I should get this out of the way. The Royal Guard of Heorot, or RGH as it was commonly known to the public, served simultaneously as my kingdom's official police force, armed forces and my personal bodyguards. Effectively, they were the second most powerful force in Heorot besides myself and the cabinet. They were also called upon to carry out what seemed to be the most popular duty amongst them: execution.

The boy _did_ die. I did not witness it myself, but I heard from the report that it was quite the public spectacle. His body was then given a dignified Turogian burial outside of Heorot by the sea, as was his civil right at the very least. Executions were a messy business, but still, he had committed a crime and had to pay the price in order to serve as an example to other males. Though it may surprise you that executions, at least at this early time of my reign, were not yet common place. That boy, whose face I don't believe I'll ever forget, was only the fourth New Turogian I had sent to his death. It was amongst the first of many, MANY more to come in the following years…

* * *

That night, I made good my promise to Eva and had my daughters, the two Princesses of Heorot, presented before me. I wasn't so much actively involved in my children's upbringing, and I guess the only excuse I could give for that was my "royal duties as King". The only times I ever really spent a significant amount of time with them were their occasional presentations to me. I would admire their growth, their appearance, enquire about their progress in education and after that, I'd send them off. I know I wasn't exactly one of the great European monarchs and all this may have been a tad unnecessary in hindsight, but their upbringing was well-handled by their mother and nanny. What did the girls really need from me, anyway?

Both my daughters were brought into my throne room, where I was sat silently and falling half asleep, by Eva, their tutor and the girl's nanny, whose names I have long forgotten. I got up and walked over to the silent Princesses, who stood up straight with good posture and hands held together in front of them. Their names, both chosen by yours truly, were Mary and Victoria.

Mary's name, as you can imagine, was derived from that of two famous British monarchs: Mary, Queen of Scots, fitting my love for Scotland and Mary I of England, also known as "Bloody Merry", who butchered hundreds of Protestants. It was a more than suitable name for royalty and my first-born daughter. Mary took the form of a very much more feminised version of myself, possessing her own traits such as batting eyelashes, longer antennas and a fine coat of thick and vibrant indigo fur. Her set of pearly white teeth were sharp, but not enough to tax her feminine beauty, and her claws had been filed down enough to take away their sharpness. She was draped in a light and loosely hanging fuchsia dress with a turquoise gem hanging from a gold necklace around her neck.

Victoria was named after the great Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, Britain's longest ruling monarch and "the grandmother of Europe". Like Mary, it was a perfectly fitting regal name. Unlike her sister, Victoria was not at all like me in terms of appearance. She was a little replica of her grandmother, Belle, though with a much darker shade of blue fur, but like her sister, her teeth were more rounded and her claws filed down. She too was wearing a light, loose dress, but it was coloured a bright orange instead and around her neck she wore a more tight fitting black necklace with numerous gems attached.

My daughters both possessed the unique gift of unspoiled feminine beauty. Each would make a fine wife and mother one day. Yet throughout her entire life, I always found myself having a higher…_regard_ for Mary. She had that refined beauty and grace a female should have, yet from what I was told again and again by everyone else, also the intelligence and tenacity of the fiercest male. I won't deny this was unfair to Victoria and maybe I was making hypocrisy out of my childhood resentment of Medusa being my father's favourite, but Mary was the only one who sparked me any interest in my children. Maybe it was because Victoria...was just a girl. Maybe she had unfortunately inherited her mother's trait of being as interesting as wheat toast. It was like I said; I preferred a submissive and obedient female, but it wouldn't kill me for her to be the least bit interesting or have glimmer of intelligence.

I asked their royal tutor how well they were progressing. He assured me that both of them were excelling at a good pace, though Mary was doing significantly better than her sister. I expected as such.

My key policy in education in Heorot was to make sure every offspring received a minimum amount of schooling in their very early years, to nourish their inherently advanced minds further. Most of what was taught was gender oriented, with subjects such as science and mathematics focused more on males and domestic skills like sewing or playing a few instruments focused solely on females. These "school projects" as I called them, were held either outside and even took the children into the jungles (which would help especially when they were being taught about nature) or down below in the caverns, which I preferred since being in a model classroom would more likely help the kids focus on their studies and block out distractions. However, for the royal children and others of the crème de la crème of New Turogian society, I saw to it they received much more "private" education by tutors selected by me, to make sure they kept on top of their commoner peers. Later, I'd take it a step further and introduce stricter limits on the curriculum of these commoner children, for the sake of ensuring the order was kept intact.

To break the tradition of these presentations in which the girls would remain almost completely silent, I decided to ask a direct question to one of them. I held my claws up to silence the tutor when he was wrapping up on their progress, and looked at Mary and asked her, "What have you been reading, daughter?"

She looked taken aback by this question, or more likely by the fact that I was actually _talking to _her. She ringed her claws together and answered me in that gentle, childlike voice that she was reading the works of the famous Earth writers, including the romanticists like Lord Byron and Percy Shelley. She had an aptitude for reading, this girl. I then asked them both whether they were making sure to keep up with their reading of the Turogianist scrolls as part of their religious education, to which they said they were reading thoroughly every night. I gave the tutor a warning glance as if to say, "See to it that this remains so".

I looked over at my second born with thinly veiled disinterest and asked her of her own aptitudes. She answered me in an even younger, almost babyish voice that she was being trained to play a flute and could by this time play eight songs.

When she was done, I decided I was done with my children for the night and sent them away. Eva did not look impressed by the "time" I had spent with them and just huffed and walked out of the throne room, allowing me once again to bask in my solitude. What did she want me to do, play jump rope with them? That woman was never satisfied, no matter what I did, and I certainly wasn't going to get anything in bed that night.

An hour of my lounging passed and I became so fatigue, I found myself nearly sliding off the polished seat and landed my fat ass hard on the floor. I stretched out my back like I did that morning. It was time to go to bed, but not before having a tall drink first.

Before I could even lift myself off the throne, there was a knocking on the double doors for the second time that day. I dropped myself back and growled, rubbing my temples, "Come in."

One of my castle's dozens of servant came in, holding an envelope in his mind. He cleared his throat and addressed me, saluting as he did, "Sire, forgive my intrusion, but I have here an important message for you."

"I'll read it in the morning." I waved my claws dismissively and preparing to haul myself up again.

"But it is from your sister, Lady Medusa, sire."

"I don't care if it's from-" My ears perked up and my fatigue disappeared. "Wait...what did you say?"

"It is from your sister, sire. Lady Medusa."

Not saying a word, I brought myself up from the throne and ran over to him. I anxiously snatched away the letter and told him to leave immediately. Once he did, I locked the doors of both entrances into the throne room: the main double doors and the single door at the back leading into the castle hallway which my family used. I ran back to my throne, tore open the envelope in my claws and read the freshly scribbled ink on the inferior paper quickly.

_My dearest brother,_

_Forgive the abruptness of this message, but it is urgent. I simply cannot bear to be under the same roof as my husband any longer. He is no longer the man I married. He has become selfish, violent and corrupt with his position of power and status and has hit me more than once, as I have him. I need to come and stay with you for a while, where I know I'll be safe. I understand that this is all so sudden, but the situation has just spiralled beyond control. _

_All I request is the use of one of your spare rooms, because I don't know what I'll do if I have to stay with him one moment longer. Besides…you know how much I miss you. It has been so long since we've even seen each other and I cannot stop thinking about you. We must be together again, if not for the reason of family reunion, then at least for my own safety against my brutish "husband". _

_I'm at the end of my tether, brother. If you do choose to accommodate me, then please send RGH officers to pick me up. He's become so violent now; I think he'll do something drastic if I try to leave by myself._

_Please respond as soon as you receive this message._

_Your loving sister, _

_Medusa_

I folded up the letter and narrowed my eyes, strumming my claws against the inferior paper. I understand, yes, I understood completely.

After spending a moment in silent thought, I summoned my servant and told him to summon Lord Yang, the Captain of the RGH (his reward for my castle and role in the uprising) to the castle. He did so and Yang was there within minutes, dressed in his black uniform and everything. I showed him the letter Medusa had sent me and he nodded in understanding. I then gave him direct orders to send a squadron of his best officers to Lord Sikes' home and bring my sister the castle immediately. If Sikes made any attempt to resist, be it physical or verbal, then he was to be placed under house arrest.

"It will be done, your Highness." He saluted me before turning around and marching militarily out of the double doors of the castle foyer.

Turning to my servant, I told him to bring me something to drink whilst I waited in my throne room for news of my sister's arrival. As I went back to room to wait, my thoughts focused on Medusa and a grin tugged hard at the corners of my mouth.

We had been apart for too long now. Her beautiful face was always a credit to the gothic décor or my home. I knew how read between lines and I knew what she wanted. She _yearned_ for me, just to be in my presence for one precious moment. And oh, how I yearned for _her…_my dear, sweet Medusa.

* * *

**(A/N) Okay, so that's chapter eight. It's sole purpose of course was to basically set up the new situation of Grendel, his family, and the New Turogian people. Thew next chapter is going to focus more on our King's, how shall I put it...darker secrets and desires? I mean, I think the ending of this chapter, as well as the hints in previous chapters have given you a good idea. Please Read and Review!**

**P.s. If you know what the title of this chapter, 'Year One' means in historical terms, then I tip my hat off to you.**


End file.
